Gustavo Ayón

Gustavo Alfonso Ayón Aguirre (born April 1, 1985) is a Mexican professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Mexican national basketball team in international national team competitions. Standing at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), he plays at the center and power forward positions. Ayon was an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2016.

Ayón attended Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla in Mexico for three years of college. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Mexican national college championship tournament in leading the team to the championship. Following this season, he signed with NCAA Division I San Jose State University. However, Ayón never played for the Spartans, instead choosing to sign with a Mexican professional team, Halcones UV Xalapa.

In the 2006 season, Ayón saw some action off the bench for Halcones UV Xalapa as the team finished second in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. Ayón cracked the starting lineup the following season and eventually led Halcones to back-to-back Mexican league titles in 2007–08 and 2008–09. He averaged 10.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2007–08 and improved on that by averaging 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game the following season. In what turned out to be his final game for the team, Ayón turned in a dominant, 24-point, 20-rebound, performance in leading his club to a 94–90 overtime victory over Soles de Mexicali that clinched their second consecutive league title.

Following the 2008–09 season, Ayón signed with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada of the Spanish League. In November 2011, Ayón was named the ACB Player of the Month.

On December 2011, Ayón signed with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA after liquidating Baloncesto Fuenlabrada with a $1.5-million buy-out clause. Ayón received a three-year contract, with the last year being a team option.

On July 11, 2012, Ayón was traded to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal for Ryan Anderson.

On February 21, 2013, Ayón was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with guards Ish Smith and J. J. Redick for guards Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb and forward Tobias Harris.

On July 25, 2013, he was waived by the Bucks.

On July 29, 2013, Ayón was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Hawks. On February 12, 2014, Ayón scored a career high 18 points in an 83-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors. On February 28, 2014, it was announced that Ayón would miss the rest of the 2013–14 season following successful surgery to repair a right shoulder injury.

On September 23, 2014, Ayón signed a two-year deal with Real Madrid. In 2014–15 season, Real Madrid won the EuroLeague, after defeating Olympiacos, by a score of 78–59 in the final game. Real Madrid eventually finished the season winning the Spanish League championship, after a 3–0 series sweep in the Spanish League finals series against Barcelona. With that trophy, Real Madrid won the triple crown.

Ayón was named the EuroLeague MVP of the Week in the first week of the playoffs in the 2014–15 season and in week nine of the regular season for 2015–16.

On January 4, 2016, Ayón was named the EuroLeague MVP of the Month for December 2015. On May 6, 2016, he was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team for the 2015–16 Euroleague season. In May 2016, he was named the Player of the Month in the Liga ACB.

On July 14, 2016, Ayón signed a new three-year contract with Real Madrid.

Ayón has been a member of the Mexican national basketball team since 2007. He played center for the seventh placed Mexicans at the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, and the fifth placed team at the 2008 Centrobasket.

In 2013, Ayón led Mexico to victory in the gold medal game against Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas Championship. Ayón was named the MVP of the tournament.

In August 2014, Ayón led Mexico to victory in the gold medal game against Puerto Rico at the 2014 Centrobasket. Ayón was named the MVP of the tournament. Later that month, he joined Mexico for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

In 2015, Ayón was named to the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship All-Tournament Team, after tallying 17.7 points per game (2nd in the tournament), 12.4 rebounds per game (1st in the tournament), 3.5 assists per game (7th in the tournament), 1.3 steals per game (3rd in the tournament), and 1.2 blocks per game (1st in the tournament).

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

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

Domestic leagues