{"id":182833,"date":"2026-06-24T19:12:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/aday-mara-fulfills-his-nba-dream-selected-in-the-top-12-of-the-draft-by-oklahoma-city\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T19:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:18:52","slug":"aday-mara-fulfills-his-nba-dream-selected-in-the-top-12-of-the-draft-by-oklahoma-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/en\/aday-mara-fulfills-his-nba-dream-selected-in-the-top-12-of-the-draft-by-oklahoma-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Aday Mara Fulfills His NBA Dream: Selected in the Top 12 of the Draft by Oklahoma City"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Spanish center Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft; Mara was a college champion last season with the Michigan Wolverines.<\/p>\n

Aday Mara, a 21-year-old center from Zaragoza who stands 221 centimeters tall, was present at the Barclays Center<\/a> in Brooklyn, the site of the draft.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

A Historic Season with Michigan<\/h2>\n
\"Aday
PHOTO: Aday Mara’s Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Perseverance was my greatest strength; I had to be patient\u2014that’s what led to that little boy being chosen.”<\/p>\n

Aday Mara said this seconds after being drafted by the Thunder, the 2024\u20132025 NBA champions.<\/p>\n

“Everything I’ve done in my career, ever since I was a child, has helped me get where I am today,” added the Zaragoza native.<\/p>\n

Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game last year with Michigan.<\/p>\n

He recorded a total of 103 blocks, a university record.<\/p>\n

He arrives in the NBA convinced that the United States hasn’t seen the best he has to offer yet<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A post shared by NBA Spain (@nbaspain)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n