
The Memphis Grizzlies power forward, Santi Aldama’s life- be it his NBA career or his adorable moments with his girlfriend, has captured fans’ interest.
Aldama and his girlfriend, Pilar Barquin, have been in a relationship for quite a few years. The duo’s chemistry and adoration for each other are all over display in the social media. In fact, Barquin also attends her NBA star boyfriend’s games to cheer him up.
Santi, a Spanish-born basketball player, got the basketball lineage from his father, Santiago Aldama, a former Spanish basketball player and an Olympian.
Given his basketball grooming from a young age, he played for junior divisions in Spanish basketball leagues before moving to the United States for collegiate basketball at Loyola University Maryland (2019-21).
Aldama became the 30th overall pick of the Utah Jazz in the 2021 NBA draft before they traded him to his current team, Memphis Grizzlies (2021- present).
Now, the 7-foot-tall (2.13 m) basketball player enjoys a blooming career in the NBA and an adorable relationship with his girlfriend.
Quick Facts About Santi Aldama
Full Name | Santiago Aldama Toledo |
Place of Birth | Las Palmas, Spain |
Nationality | Spanish |
Date of Birth | January 10, 2001 |
Age | 24 Years Old |
Height | 7 feet (2.13 m) |
Weight | 215 lbs (98 Kg) |
Wing Span | 6 feet 11 inches (2.10 m) |
High School | Canterbury Basketball Academy |
College | Loyola University Maryland (2019-21) |
Profession | NBA Player |
Draft Year | 2021 (30th overall pick by Utah Jazz) |
Current Team | Memphis Grizzlies (2021- present) |
Position | Power forward/center |
Social Media | Instagram (@santialdama), X (@santialdama), TikTok (@santialdama) |
Santi Aldama’s Girlfriend, Pilar Barquín, Has a Double BA in Law and International Relations
Aldama’s girlfriend, Pilar Barquin (full name: Pilar Barquín Pardo) is of Spanish origin. She lived in Madrid before relocating to the United States for her studies.
According to Pilar’s LinkedIn profile, she is an alumna of Universidad Pontificia Comillas (September 2016- May 2021), where she earned a double Bachelor’s degree in Law and International Relations.
In 2019 (from August to December), during her studies, she also attended Loyola University Maryland for Exchange Program in International Relations.

Upon her graduation, she was a legal intern at NOVIT Legal in Madrid, Spain, from September 2020 to January 2021.
Later, Pilar moved to the United States and pursued a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) at the University of Memphis. She currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Is Aldama’s Girfriend, Pilar Active on Social Media?
Yes, Pilar Barquin is active on Instagram with the handle @pilarbarquin. She also has a TikTok account where she shares adorable moments with her NBA player boyfriend.
When Did Santi Aldama and Pilar Barquin Begin Dating? Relationship Insights
Aldama and Barquin have yet to share details about their courtship, but there are assumptions that they met at Loyola University Maryland and began dating around 2020.
Why do we think so? Well, it was in the 2019 fall when Pilar, a Span native, went to Loyola for an Exchange Program in International Relations, and the same year, Santi enrolled there to play collegiate basketball.
Later, in August 2021, Pilar shared a TikTok video captioned, “after nine months without seeing each other” with #longdistancerelationship, implying their reunion.

As for Santi, it was not until July 2022, that he shared his first-ever Instagram picture with Pilar. Then, in December of that year, the NBA player shared a picture of them celebrating Christmas together.
On January 3, 2024, Aldama took to Instagram to wish 26th birthday to his girlfriend, Pilar- meaning, she was born on January 4, 1998.
In August 2024, the duo attended the wedding of French basketball player Killian Tillie and his wife, Hailee.
There is no denying that aside from his family, Aldama now has an additional avid supporter of his basketball career- his sweetheart, Pilar. She often attends his games and shares snaps from the basketball court.
Did you know? Santi Aldama and his girlfriend’s birthday falls in the same month, January. Born on January 10, 2001, the basketball star is three years younger than his lover.
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Do They Have Wedding Plans?
For now, Santi and Pilar have yet to announce their wedding plans. Also, there have been no reports of their engagement. Yet fans can’t help but tag Pilar as the NBA star’s wife already!
FAQs
Aldama was born on January 10, 2001, in Las Palmas, Spain.
The NBA player was born to María Isabel Toledo Jiménez and Santiago Aldama Alesón. His father, Santiago, is a Spanish former professional basketball player who competed in the 1992 Olympics.
Santi, born in Spain, moved to the United States to play college basketball at Loyola University Maryland. After his sophomore year, he went for the NBA draft in 2021.
Aldama was the 30th overall pick of the Utah Jazz in the 2021 NBA draft.
Shortly after his draft, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he signed a four-year $10.24 million contract. His salary for the 2024-25 season is $3.96 million.

David loves to provide his diverse expertise as a content writer in Hollywood and sports niche.