It cannot be a surprise to anyone that Francisco García’s journey through the world’s hoops ends with his exaltation to the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame. From being the first criollo to lead a statistic for a team in the NBA to his excellent performances with the national team, “El Flaco” proved to be one of the best and most complete Dominican basketball players in history.
Despite the fact that his sports activities did not include a presence in the top tournaments in the country – only with the Indios de San Francisco de Macorís of the LNB in 2017-, his presence in the national team along with what his health and coaches gave him allowed to do in the NBA were more than enough to convince the sportswriters who voted for him.
in the NBA
His “cold” numbers are not impressive. In 10 seasons with the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets, he averaged 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In 549 matches he was in the starting lineup in 137 and played an average of 21.6 minutes per start (less than half a game).
He was the 24th pick for the Kings in the first round of the 2005 draft. And when he was released in the middle of the 2012-13 season and with all his lack of minutes, in addition to the injuries that always plagued him, he occupies the fifth for life in the Sacramento franchise – which has been in the league for its 75 years – in 3-pointers (475) and 10th in blocked shots (343).
In 2006-07, despite seeing action as a shooter, small forward and occasional point guard tied for the team lead in blocks (43, with Ron Artest). In 2007-08 he averaged 12.3 points and became the sixth Latino with at least 100 three-point shots in a season. He returned to double figures in points in 2008-09 with 12.7 ppg and won the Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award, given to the player on the team who best represents sportsmanship through dedication to the game and commitment to the community.
In 2010 he was appointed as captain of the Kings and three years later he was included among the best 50 players in the history of the Sacramento Kings.
In the selection
He wore the national jersey between 2003 and 2015. He won a gold medal at the 2012 Centrobasket in San Juan, Puerto Rico (12.3 points per game), silver at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo (5.4 ppg) and bronze at the The 2011 Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina (11.0 ppg), as well as in the 2008 Centrobasket in Chetumal and Cancun, Mexico (12.6 points). He was the fourth best scorer (18.9 points) in the 2005 World Cup in Santo Domingo (sixth place) and eighth in the 2014 World Cup in Spain with an average of 17.6 points per start.
in NCAA
He debuted in 2002-2003 with Louisville and earned Rookie of the Year honors in NCAA Division I Basketball Conference USA. He averaged 11.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He led the Cardinals in blocks (40, 1.3 tbpg) and was third in the club and league in shooting from 3 (134-57, 42.5 percent).
As a sophomore (2003-04) he led the Cardinals in scoring (16.4), assists (4.7) and stolen balls (1.9) and was also among the best in the Conference in blocks (1.4) and free throw percentage (79.7). ).
In his third and final season with the Cardinals (2004-2005) he led the club in scoring (15.7), assists (148), stolen balls (65), and blocked shots (56) as Louisville reached the NCAA tournament semifinals ( Final Four) for the first time since 1986.
