Aday Mara had a night to remember on Monday, as he helped the Michigan Wolverines topple the UConn Huskies in the national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., 69-63.
On top of that, he celebrated his 21st birthday shortly after the Wolverines took down UConn and while he and his teammates were still on the court, savoring their success.
To make it even better for Mara, he got a special message from Spanish basketball great and former Los Angeles Lakers star big man Pau Gasol.
“Historic!!!! I’m so happy for you, Aday, you deserve it!” the 45-year-old Gasol wrote in Spanish in a post on social media.
Histórico!!!! Me alegro mucho por ti, Aday, te lo mereces 👏🏼👏🏼 https://t.co/Gd2fUoKlHi
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) April 7, 2026
It has been quite a basketball journey for Mara, who could one day have a successful NBA career, just like Gasol.
Mara began his college stint with the UCLA Bruins, suiting up for two seasons under Mick Cronin before transferring to Ann Arbor in 2025 to play for Dusty May’s Wolverines.
Mara enjoyed a much bigger role on the court with Michigan than he did in two seasons with the Bruins, averaging 12.1 points, while leading the Big Ten with 2.1 blocks through 40 games with the Wolverines.
