Basketball legend and former 'Piculín' Ortiz dies

BarcelonaThe basketball world mourns the death of José Piculín Ortiz at the age of 62. The former Puerto Rican center had been battling colorectal cancer for a long time. Considered a legend in his country, which he represented in four Olympic Games and five World Cups, he also played for Barça in the early 90s. The center arrived at the Catalan club from Real Madrid and became a key player in a team coached by Bozidar Maljkovic that featured players like Epi, Solozábal, Audie Norris, and Andrés Jiménez, who won the Copa del Rey and were finalists in the European Cup, a tournament they lost in Paris against the formidable Jugoplastika.

The culé fans still remember his characteristic bank shot, a technique that is no longer in use. As a Catalan player, Ortiz played 47 games, in which he scored an average of 14.5 points and grabbed 7.6 rebounds. His time at the Palau ended in 1992, when he began a journey through other ACB clubs such as Festina Andorra and Unicaja de Málaga.

Ortiz is considered a legend in his country for his extroverted personality and also because he was the first basketball player from Puerto Rico to be selected to the

Ortiz is considered a legend in his country for his extroverted character and also because he was the first Puerto Rican basketball player to be selected in the draft of the NBA. The Utah Jazz chose him in 1987 at number 15, but did not use him until a year later, as they transferred his rights to Zaragoza. In two seasons in the North American league, the former center played a discreet role. He completed his first year with 51 appearances and an average of 2.9 points. Midway through his second season, the Jazz cut him before trading him to Madrid, where he only played one season before joining Barça.

A few difficult years

Ortiz did not handle his retirement well. He had no luck in the restaurant business, opened a basketball academy, and entered politics with the Democratic Popular Party, but he could not quit alcohol and drugs. In 2011, he was arrested for drug possession and spent six months in prison after pleading guilty. A few months later, he violated the probation imposed on him for possessing 218 marijuana plants at his home in Puerto Rico. The former player did not show up on the 11th at the Hogar Santísima Trinidad, where he was required to stay overnight and receive treatment for his drug addiction. He said he had not gone to sleep because he had to get up early to do community service hours as part of his sentence.

"He recovered and collaborated with FIBA. He was a very respected person in my country. He is a legend. In my opinion, he is the best Puerto Rican player of all time. Before going to the NBA, we shared a team for five years and were teammates on the national team. I considered him a brother. When I needed advice, I talked to him," explains Carlos Arroyo to El ARA.

In 2019, Ortiz became part of the FIBA Hall of Fame, which also highlighted the careers of Alonzo Mourning and Fabricio Oberto. He was currently hosting the podcast ElGOATCast. The last episode was uploaded just three days ago.