One of the most beloved FC Barcelona players ever, Juan Carlos Navarro, is among the biggest stars in the history of European basketball, as well.
Legend: Juan Carlos Navarro, FC Barcelona
Final Four
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From the outskirts of Barcelona where he grew up, Navarro rose to become one of the continent's most prolific scorers ever and to lift his hometown club to its greatest heights during two stints – each a decade-long – wearing the Blaugrana jersey.
Navarro left a mark on basketball with his trademark "la bomba" shot, while the countless baskets he scored and victories his teams achieved made him a winner like few others in the sport.
Navarro is the only player to lift both of Barcelona's EuroLeague trophies to date. He did it for the first time as a 22-year-old in 2003 before a home crowd that had been waiting a long time for that very moment. The club's second EuroLeague title came in Paris in 2010, when Navarro was voted the Final Four MVP, one after he had been chosen the 2008-09 EuroLeague MVP, as well.
From 2000 until 2018, while leading Barcelona to eight Final Fours, Navarro achieved milestones that few players in EuroLeague history can imagine. At the time of his retirement, he was the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer, with 4,152 points, ranking first as well in performance index rating (3,890) and games played (341). To this day, he remains the EuroLeague's career leader in three-pointers made (623).
Navarro was an All-EuroLeague First Team selection a record five times and the only player named to both EuroLeague All-Decade Teams this century. He also has a pair of All-EuroLeague Second Team selections and three MVP of the Month awards to his name.
Navarro was successful wherever he played, leading Barca to 20 domestic titles in Spain and helping the team win the 1999 Korac Cup. He was also an instrumental part of the Spanish national teams that won the 2006 World Cup, three Olympic medals – silvers at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, bronze at Rio 2016 – and seven EuroBasket medals, including three golds.
Shortly after he retired, Navarro was honored as a EuroLeague Basketball Legend. He soon saw his number 11 retired by Barcelona and raised to the rafters at Palau Blaugrana. A legend in his city and beyond, Navarro today continues his special relationship with Barcelona as its general director.