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José Ortiz

José Ortiz
José Rafael Ortiz.JPG
Ortiz (left) in 2007
Personal information
Born (1963-10-25) October 25, 1963 (age 53)
Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Nationality Puerto Rican
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school Benjamin Harrison
(Cayey, Puerto Rico)
College Oregon State (1985–1987)
NBA draft 1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career 1980–2006
Position Power forward / Center
Number 4, 44
Career history
1980–1991 Atléticos de San Germán
1987–1988 CAI Zaragoza
19881990 Utah Jazz
1990–1991 Real Madrid
1991–1992 FC Barcelona
1992–1993 Festina Andorra
1993–1994 Unicaja Polti
1994–1995 Foinix Larissas
1995–1996 Irakleio
1996–1997 Aris
1997 Guaiqueríes de Margarita
1998–2005 Cangrejeros de Santurce
2006 Capitanes de Arecibo
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

José Rafael "Piculín" Ortiz Rijos (born October 25, 1963), is a Puerto Rican retired professional basketball player. He played in the NCAA, NBA, various European teams and the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.

He played for the Utah Jazz while in the NBA and the Atléticos de San Germán, Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Capitanes de Arecibo while in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Ortiz was a member of the Puerto Rican national team from 1983 to 2004. Most notably he was a member of the 2004 team that defeated the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Ortiz was a member of 4 Olympic teams 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2004.

Ortiz holds various honors and records as a basketball player. He ranks #4 and #6 in the all-time statistics for rebounds per game and total rebounds in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. He is also the third player to win eight championships in the league. Ortiz is also the first Puerto Rican-born player to be drafted in the NBA. Many experts consider Ortiz to be the best Puerto Rican basketball player.

Despite his success in sports, Ortiz went through financial troubles after retiring. In 2011, he was arrested for the possession of 218 marijuana plants. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Ortiz was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico on October 25, 1963, but was raised in Cayey. He started his career as a center at Benjamin Harrison High School in Cayey. He was nicknamed Piculín after one of the characters in The Wizard of Oz and The Concorde as a reference to the popular plane and his height (6'11"). Ortiz earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Oregon State University.


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Wikipedia

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