Aday Mara has often worn No. 15 on the court throughout his basketball career, and the Spanish center will continue that trend with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mara sported it for his first two seasons in college at UCLA and again last season at Michigan, helping the Wolverines to their second national title and first since 1989. He also wore it in Europe before arriving in the United States.
The 7-footer has suited up in the No. 15 while representing Spain on the international level. He will do so again when he takes the court for the first time with the senior team in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup European qualifying tournament on Aug. 28.
What a day for Aday 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mHAFfCF3Me
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) June 27, 2026
Mara was the 12th overall pick after averaging 12.1
points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.4 assists while shooting 66.8% from the field last season. He was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in blocked shots (103), ranking third in the country.
The 21-year-old debuted with the Thunder in summer league, averaging 9.2 points, seven rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 56.3% from the field in five games. He reached 10 or more points four times, including a 14-point performance on July 14.
The Thunder were ecstatic to add Mara to the roster as a defensive-minded anchor in the paint. The group is eager to see him take the court and believes he has a bright future ahead.
Throughout August, Rookie Wire is looking at every first-round pick and why each player selected their respective jersey number as they make the jump to the NBA
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Thunder rookie Aday Mara to keep same jersey number in the NBA
