José Ortiz (basketball), Date of Birth, Place of Birth

José Ortiz (basketball)

Puerto Rican basketball player

Date of Birth: 23-Oct-1963

Place of Birth: Aibonito, Puerto Rico, United States

Profession: basketball player

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

José Rafael "Piculín" Ortiz Rijos (born October 25, 1963) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player.
He played in the NCAA, NBA, various European teams, and the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). 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 played in Summer Olympics, as he played in 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.On August 30, 2019 Ortiz was inducted in the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame for a career with the Puerto Rico Basketball National Team that spanned over 20 years.