Pablo Laso

Pablo Laso
	Laso coaching Real Madrid in 2017.
Cazoo Baskonia
Position	Head coach
League	Liga ACB; EuroLeague
Personal information
Born	13 October 1967 (age 57); Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Listed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
NBA draft	1989: undrafted
Playing career	1984–2003
Position	Point guard
Coaching career	2003–present
Career history
As player:
1984–1995	Baskonia
1995–1997	Real Madrid
1998–1999	Pallacanestro Trieste
1999	Baloncesto Málaga
1999–2002	Girona
2002	Lleida Bàsquet
2003	Valladolid
As coach:
2003–2004	AB Castelló
2004–2005	Pamesa Valencia
2006–2007	Cantabria Baloncesto
2007–2011	Gipuzkoa
2011–2022	Real Madrid
2023–2024	Bayern Munich
2024–present	Saski Baskonia
Career highlights and awards
	As player: FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1997); Spanish Cup winner (1995); Spanish Cup MVP (1995); Spanish League career stats leaders Spanish League all-time leader in steals; As head coach: FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (2015); 2× EuroLeague champion (2015, 2018); 6× Liga ACB champion (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022); Basketball Bundesliga champion (2024); 6× Spanish Cup winner (2012, 2014–2017, 2020); German Cup winner (2024); 7× Spanish Supercup winner (2012–2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021); 2× EuroLeague Coach of the Year (2015, 2018); 5× Liga ACB Coach of the Year (2013–2015, 2018, 2021); 4× AEEB Spanish Coach of the Year (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018);

Pablo Laso Biurrun (born 13 October 1967) is a Spanish professional basketball coach and former player who is the current head coach for Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was the head coach of Real Madrid for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2022, guiding them to two EuroLeague championships and six ACB titles. As a player, he was a prominent point guard in Spain and Italy.

Professional playing career

Club career

Laso played 17,378 minutes (4th most) in 624 games (9th most) in the Liga ACB (the top-tier level Spanish League).^[1]^[2] He holds the ACB records for most career assists (2,896)^[3] and most career steals (1,219).^[4]

He won the 1995 edition of the Spanish Cup, and won the Most Valuable Player award of the tournament. He also won the championship of the FIBA Saporta Cup's 1996–97 season.

National team career

Laso played in 61 games with the senior Spanish national team. He played at the EuroBasket 1989, the 1994 FIBA World Championship, and the EuroBasket 1995.^[5]

Professional coaching career

In 2008, Laso led Bruesa GBC, to achieve a league promotion to the Spanish top-tier level Liga ACB

Laso led Real Madrid to win the EuroLeague championships of the 2014–15 season, and the 2017–18 season. He also led Real Madrid to win 6 Spanish League championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022), 5 Spanish Cups (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020), and 6 Spanish Supercups (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020).

Laso also led Real Madrid to win the championship of the 2015 edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

During the 2014 ACB Playoffs Real Madrid played a rematch of the 2014 Euroleague Final Four semifinal against FC Barcelona Bàsquet. Laso suffered an Achilles tendon rupture after Madrid's loss in the first game of the series. The coach chose to coach Game 2 on crutches, which resulted in a Madrid victory.^[6] Laso opted for surgery and returned to Real's sideline in a wheelchair in game 4. The coach would be ejected from the game by referees early in the second half and was wheeled from the arena escorted by security.^[7] ^[8] Barcelona would go on to win the ACB championship 3-1.

In July 2022, Madrid parted ways with Laso for medical reasons. He had suffered a heart attack during the 2022 ACB Playoffs that forced him to stay in the hospital for two days. Real had consulted doctors and cardiologists who said it would be a risk for Laso's health if he continued his job as head coach.^[9]

On June 12, 2023, he signed with FC Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga.^[10]

On June 28, 2024, he signed with Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB.^[11]

Head coaching record

Legend
G	Games coached	W	Games won	L	Games lost	W–L %	Win-loss %

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the team played during the season. He also coached in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

EuroLeague

Team	Year	G	W	L	W–L%	Result
Real Madrid	2011–12	16	12	4	.750	Eliminated in Top 16 stage
	2012–13	29	21	8	.724	Lost in the final game
	2013–14	31	25	6	.806	Lost in the final game
	2014–15	30	24	6	.800	Won Euroleague Championship
	2015–16	27	12	15	.444	Eliminated in quarterfinals
	2016–17	36	26	10	.722	Lost in 3rd place game
	2017–18	36	24	12	.667	Won EuroLeague Championship
	2018–19	35	26	9	.743	Won in 3rd place game
	2020–21	39	22	17	.564	Eliminated in quarterfinals
	2021–22	31	21	10	.677	Lost in the final game
Career		310	213	97	.687