José Ortiz (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Ortiz

Ortiz (left) in 2007
Personal information
Born	(1963-10-25) October 25, 1963 (age 61) Aibonito, Puerto Rico
High school	Benjamin Harrison (Cayey, Puerto Rico)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
College	Oregon State (1985–1987)
NBA Draft	1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	1980–2006
Career history
1980–1991	Atléticos de San Germán
1987–1988	CAI Zaragoza
1988–1990	Utah Jazz
1990	Real Madrid
1990–1992	FC Barcelona
1992–1993	Festina Andorra
1993–1994	Unicaja Polti
1994–1996	Atléticos de San Germán
1994–1995	Gymnastikos S. Larissas
1995–1996	Iraklio Crete
1996–1997	Aris
1997	Guaiqueríes de Margarita
1997–1998	Aris
1998–2005	Cangrejeros de Santurce
2006	Capitanes de Arecibo
Career highlights and awards
FIBA Korać Cup champion (1997) Spanish Cup winner (1991) Spanish League All-Star (1990) 2× Greek League All-Star (1996 I, 1997) 8× BSN champion (1985, 1991, 1994, 1998–2001, 2003) BSN Most Valuable Player (2002) LPB champion (1997) LPB Finals MVP (1997) Pac-10 Player of the Year (1987) 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (1986, 1987)
Career statistics
Points	8,925 (17.7 ppg)
Rebounds	5,314 (10.5 rpg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Puerto Rico FIBA AmeriCup Gold 1995 Argentina Silver 1988 Uruguay Silver 1993 Puerto Rico Silver 1997 Uruguay Bronze 2003 Puerto Rico Pan American Games Gold 1991 Cuba Bronze 1987 USA Centrobasket Gold 1989 Cuba Gold 1991 Mexico Gold 1993 Puerto Rico Gold 2001 Mexico Gold 2003 Mexico Silver 1999 Cuba Goodwill Games Gold 1994 Russia

José Rafael "Piculín" Ortiz Rijos (born October 25, 1963) is a famous Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. He played in college, the NBA, and for many teams in Europe and Puerto Rico.

Ortiz played for the Utah Jazz in the NBA. In Puerto Rico, he played for teams like the Atléticos de San Germán and Cangrejeros de Santurce. He was also a key player for the Puerto Rican national team from 1983 to 2004. He was part of the team that beat the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Ortiz played in four different Summer Olympics.

He holds many records and honors in basketball. He is considered by many to be the best Puerto Rican basketball player ever. On August 30, 2019, Ortiz was honored by being inducted into the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame. This recognized his amazing 26-year career with both his club teams and the Puerto Rican national team.

Early Life and Education

José Ortiz was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico on October 25, 1963. He grew up in Cayey. His parents, German Ortiz and Elba Ríos, were both school teachers.

Ortiz started playing basketball as a center at Benjamin Harrison High School in Cayey. He got the nickname Piculín from a character in The Wizard of Oz. He was also called The Concorde because of his height, which was 6 feet 11 inches. Ortiz studied Communications at Oregon State University.

College Basketball Career

Ortiz went to Oregon State University and played college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers. He played there from 1985 to 1987. His coach was Ralph Miller.

During his time at Oregon State, he played alongside Gary Payton, who later became a Basketball Hall of Fame player. Ortiz averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his two seasons. After the 1986–87 season, he was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was even chosen over future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing in Puerto Rico

In 1980, when he was just 17, Ortiz began his professional career. He joined the Atléticos de San Germán team in Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. He quickly became a star player.

Ortiz led San Germán to a league championship in 1985. He averaged over 25 points and 14 rebounds per game that season. He helped the team win another title in 1991, averaging 19 points and 15.8 rebounds. After 1991, Ortiz played in Europe but returned to Puerto Rico in 1994, leading San Germán to another championship.

In 1998, Ortiz moved to the Cangrejeros de Santurce team. He helped them win four championships in a row from 1998 to 2001. In 2002, Ortiz was named the Most Valuable Player of the league. He and the Cangrejeros won another title in 2003, making Ortiz one of only three players to win eight BSN championships.

He played with Santurce for two more years. In 2006, he played one season with the Capitanes de Arecibo before retiring. Ortiz finished his BSN career with 8,915 points and 5,314 rebounds. Many experts still consider him the best Puerto Rican basketball player ever.

Time in the NBA

After college, Ortiz entered the 1987 NBA draft. The Utah Jazz picked him in the first round as the 15th overall choice. However, he first played for a team in Spain before joining the Jazz.

Ortiz joined the Jazz for the 1988–89 season. He played his first NBA game on November 9, 1988. In his first season, he played in 51 games and started in 15 of them. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.

He returned for the 1989–90 season, playing 13 games before leaving the team in February 1990. He finished his NBA career with averages of 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. He wore the number 44 during his time in the NBA.

Playing in Europe

Ortiz joined the Spanish team CAI Zaragoza in 1987. He was the team's second-highest scorer during the 1987–88 ACB season, averaging 17.4 points per game. After that, he went to play for the Utah Jazz in the U.S..

After his time with the Jazz, Ortiz signed with the Spanish club Real Madrid in 1990. He played with famous players like Fernando Romay there. Later, he moved to FC Barcelona Banca Catalana. With Barcelona, he won the Spanish King's Cup in 1991. He also helped Barcelona reach second place in the 1990–91 FIBA European Champions Cup.

After Barcelona, Ortiz played for other Spanish teams like Festina Andorra (1992–93) and Unicaja Polti (1993–94). He also played for Greek teams such as Gymnastikos S. Larissas (1994–95), Iraklio Crete (1995–96), and Aris Thessaloniki (1996–97). Ortiz helped Aris win the 1996–97 FIBA Korać Cup championship.

Playing in Venezuela

In 1997, Ortiz played for Guaiqueríes de Margarita in the Venezuelan League. He helped his team win the league championship. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the league's finals.

National Team Career

In 1982, Ortiz was old enough to join the Puerto Rico's national basketball team. His first international competition was in 1983 at the Pan American Games in Venezuela.

At the 1987 Pan American Games, Ortiz was the flag-bearer for Puerto Rico. The team won the bronze medal at that tournament. Ortiz also helped the Puerto Rican National team win a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba.

After the 2002 FIBA World Cup, Ortiz announced he would retire from the national team. However, he changed his mind and rejoined the team. In 2004, he was part of the Puerto Rican team that famously defeated the 2004 Team USA at the Athens Summer Olympics.

Ortiz played for Puerto Rico's national team in four FIBA World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002). He also played in four Summer Olympics (1988, 1992, 1996, and 2004).

Other Activities

Community Work

On May 28, 2011, Ortiz opened the Piculín Ortiz Basketball Institute in Cayey. His goal was to help local children and teenagers improve their basketball skills.

Personal Life

Ortiz married actress Nirita Ruíz. They had one daughter, Volleyball player Neira. He also has a son from a previous relationship. The couple divorced in 2006. He has been in a relationship with Sylvia Ríos since 2009 and they married in 2021.

Career Statistics

NCAA

NBA

BSN

See also

In Spanish: José Rafael Ortiz para niños

• List of Puerto Ricans
• Puerto Rico Men's National Basketball Team
• Puerto Rico at the 2004 Summer Olympics
• Elías Larry Ayuso
• Carlos Arroyo