Pablo Laso Biurrun (born 13 October 1967) is a Spanish professional basketball coach and former player who is the current head coach for Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was the head coach of Real Madrid for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2022, guiding them to two EuroLeague championships and six ACB titles. As a player, he was a prominent point guard in Spain and Italy.
During the 2014 ACB Playoffs Real Madrid played a rematch of the 2014 Euroleague Final Four semifinal against FC Barcelona Bàsquet. Laso suffered an Achilles tendon rupture after Madrid's loss in the first game of the series. The coach chose to coach Game 2 on crutches, which resulted in a Madrid victory.[6] Laso opted for surgery and returned to Real's sideline in a wheelchair in game 4. The coach would be ejected from the game by referees early in the second half and was wheeled from the arena escorted by security.[7][8] Barcelona would go on to win the ACB championship 3-1.
In July 2022, Madrid parted ways with Laso for medical reasons. He had suffered a heart attack during the 2022 ACB Playoffs that forced him to stay in the hospital for two days. Real had consulted doctors and cardiologists who said it would be a risk for Laso's health if he continued his job as head coach.[9]
Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the team played during the season. He also coached in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.
