José Ortiz
Encyclopedia
José Rafael Ortiz (born October 23, 1963), better known as Piculín or Picu, is a retired Puerto Rican
professional basketball
player. He has played in the NCAA
, NBA
, various European teams and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico
.
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 BSN. Ortiz was a member of the Puerto Rican National Team from 1983–2004. Most notably he was a member of the 2004 Puerto Rican National Basketball Team that defeated the United States
. Ortiz was a member of 4 Olympic teams 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2004.
Ortíz 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. Ortíz is also the first Puerto Rican player to be drafted in the NBA. Many experts consider Ortíz to be the best Puerto Rican basketball player.
on October 23, 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"). Ortíz earned a Bachelor's degree
in Communications from Oregon State University
.
per game. He would lead the team to a second title in 1991, while he averaged 19 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. After the 1991 season, Ortíz left the league to play in Europe
. He would return in 1994 to lead San Germán to yet another title.
In 1998, Ortíz was released by San Germán. He then went to play for the Cangrejeros de Santurce, and helped them win four titles in a row (1998-2001). In 2002, Ortíz was named Most Valuable Player
of the league, although his team did not reach the Finals. Ortíz and the Cangrejeros won another title again in 2003, making Ortíz only the third player to win eight titles in the league.
He played two more years with Santurce, and in 2006 he played with the Capitanes de Arecibo. However, he retired after just one season with the team. He finished his career with 8,915 points, 5,314 rebounds (#6), and 1,134 assists in 505 regular season games. To this day, he is considered by many experts as the best Puerto Rican basketball player.
from 1985-1987 where he was instructed by legendary coach Ralph Miller
and was a teammate of future NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton during the latter's freshman year. During his two seasons with the Beavers
, he averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. After the 1986-87 season, he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year defeating (among others) Reggie Miller
of UCLA. He also earned NCAA All-American honors in the 1986–1987 NCAA season.
. He was selected #15 by the Utah Jazz
becoming the first Puerto Rican to be selected in an NBA draft. However, before his first season, he received an offer from the CAI Zaragoza in Spain
and he accepted. Ortíz rejoined the Jazz for the 1988-89 season
, debuting on November 9, 1988. During his first season, Ortíz played 51 games, starting in 15. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
Ortíz returned to the NBA for the 1989-90 season
, playing in 13 games before being waived by the team on February 5, 1990. He finished his brief NBA career with an average of 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Ortíz wore #44 during his NBA career.
of the NBA. After being waived by the Jazz in 1990, Ortíz was hired by the Real Madrid
basketball team in Spain. During that time, he played with Fernando Romay
, Antonio Martín Espina
, and José "Chechu" Biriukov. After that season, he went to the FC Barcelona
where he won the Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
in 1991 and finished second at the Euroleague. During that season, he was one of the team's leading rebounder.
After that, Ortíz played for the Festina Andorra
(1992-1993), the Unicaja Málaga (1993-1994), the Gymnastikos S. Larissas (1994-1995), the Iraklio Creta
(1995-1996) and the Aris Thessaloniki (1996-1997). In 1997, he helped the Aris team win the Korać Cup
. After that season, Ortíz was offered approximately more than $1 million by the PAOK B.C. but the contract was declared null when laboratory tests for steroids allegedly came positive. Ortíz appealed the decision and won, but refused to return to Europe to play.
In 1997, Ortíz played for the Guaiqueríes de Margarita
in the Venezuelan league.
of Caracas
, Venezuela
. At the 1987 Pan American Games
, Ortíz was the flag-bearer for Puerto Rico. They won the bronze medal on that tournament. In 1991, Ortiz helped the Puerto Rican National basketball team earn a gold medal at the Pan American Games, held in Havana
, Cuba
.
After the 2002 world championships of basketball
, held at Indianapolis
, Ortiz announced his retirement from the national team, to coincide with national teammate Jerome Mincy
's retirement from the team. He would reconsider his decision later and rejoin the national team. In 2004, he was part of the team that defeated the United States men's national basketball team at the Summer Olympics
.
. Ortíz ran for senatorial candidate from the district of San Juan-Guaynabo in Puerto Rico's 2008 general elections
. However, both their bids were unsuccessful. Pérez has said that Ortíz distanced from politics after the defeat.
rifles. Ortíz allegedly claimed possession of all the material during the arrest. At the bail hearing, Ortíz was legally represented by a public defender since he claimed he had no money for a lawyer. At the hearing, the judge decided to send Ortíz to a rehabilitation clinic.
| align="left" | 1985-86
| align="left" | Oregon State
| 22 || - || 34.8 || .515 || - || .664 || 8.5 || - || 0.6 || 1.5 || 16.4
|-
| align="left" | 1986-87
| align="left" | Oregon State
| 30 || - || 36.7 || .584 || - || .725 || 8.7 || - || 1.2 || 1.4 || 22.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 52 || - || 35.9 || .557 || .500 || .703 || 8.7 || 1.5 || 0.9 || 1.4 || 19.8
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 51 || 15 || 6.4 || .440 || .000 || .596 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 2.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 13 || 0 || 4.9 || .452 || .500 || .600 || 1.2 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 3.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 63 || 15 || 6.1 || .443 || .333 || .596 || 1.1 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 2.9
| align="left" | 1980
| align="left" | San Germán
| 6 || .500 || .000 || .800 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 1981
| align="left" | San Germán
| 9 || .357 || .000 || .400 || 1.6 || 0.0 || 1.6
|-
| align="left" | 1982
| align="left" | San Germán
| 14 || .356 || .000 || .500 || 3.1 || 0.0 || 2.9
|-
| align="left" | 1983
| align="left" | San Germán
| 33 || .549 || .000 || .606 || 10.3 || 0.6 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 1984
| align="left" | San Germán
| 29 || .575 || .000 || .631 || 13.1 || 1.1 || 21.1
|-
| align="left" | 1985
| align="left" | San Germán
| 29 || .610 || .400 || .660 || 14.4 || 0.9 || 25.5
|-
| align="left" | 1986
| align="left" | San Germán
| 24 || .568 || .000 || .678 || 11.3 || 1.7 || 18.8
|-
| align="left" | 1987
| align="left" | San Germán
| 22 || .636 || .500 || .769 || 13.7 || 1.8 || 23.7
|-
| align="left" | 1988
| align="left" | San Germán
| 31 || .590 || .200 || .768 || 11.5 || 2.3 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 1989
| align="left" | San Germán
| 23 || .569 || .000 || .752 || 11.0 || 2.1 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1990
| align="left" | San Germán
| 19 || .630 || .688 || .774 || 12.7 || 2.8 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 1991
| align="left" | San Germán
| 11 || .614 || .333 || .768 || 15.8 || 2.3 || 19.9
|-
| align="left" | 1994
| align="left" | San Germán
| 14 || .636 || .000 || .818 || 9.6 || 3.4 || 17.3
|-
| align="left" | 1995
| align="left" | San Germán
| 19 || .594 || .296 || .731 || 11.8 || 2.9 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 1996
| align="left" | San Germán
| 25 || .647 || .400 || .711 || 13.8 || 3.3 || 20.5
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Santurce
| 29 || .608 || .269 || .704 || 12.6 || 3.5 || 19.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Santurce
| 18 || .609 || .250 || .667 || 10.1 || 3.3 || 20.6
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Santurce
| 28 || .575 || .273 || .663 || 9.0 || 3.0 || 18.0
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | Santurce
| 23 || .576 || .238 || .656 || 10.1 || 2.8 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | Santurce
| 27 || .603 || .333 || .629 || 9.6 || 3.3 || 19.4
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Santurce
| 16 || .457 || .318 || .464 || 8.6 || 3.6 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2004
| align="left" | Santurce
| 29 || .498 || .000 || .623 || 7.4 || 3.0 || 10.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005
| align="left" | Santurce
| 23 || .496 || .286 || .404 || 6.5 || 1.9 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006
| align="left" | Arecibo
| 4 || .474 || .000 || .500 || 5.5 || 1.5 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 505 || .582 || .307 || .680 || 10.5 || 2.2 || 17.7
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He has played in the NCAA
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, various European teams and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico
National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional or BSN is the main Puerto Rican men's basketball league. It currently has 10 teams, but has had many teams in several cities of the island. The league was established in 1929. It has produced players that have distinguished themselves in the NBA, European Leagues,...
.
He played for the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
while in the NBA and the Atléticos de San Germán, Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Capitanes de Arecibo while in the BSN. Ortiz was a member of the Puerto Rican National Team from 1983–2004. Most notably he was a member of the 2004 Puerto Rican National Basketball Team that defeated the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Ortiz was a member of 4 Olympic teams 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2004.
Ortíz 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. Ortíz is also the first Puerto Rican player to be drafted in the NBA. Many experts consider Ortíz to be the best Puerto Rican basketball player.
Early life and education
Ortíz was born in Aibonito, Puerto RicoAibonito, Puerto Rico
Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerio; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo...
on October 23, 1963, but was raised in Cayey
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
. He started his career as a center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
at Benjamin Harrison High School in Cayey. He was nicknamed Piculín after one of the characters in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
and The Concorde as a reference to the popular plane
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
and his height (6'11"). Ortíz earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Communications from Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
.
BSN career
In 1980, with approximately 17 years, Ortíz debuted with the Atléticos de San Germán from the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico. As his career progressed, he improved his game significantly leading San Germán to a championship in 1985. That season, Ortíz averaged more than 25 points and 14 reboundsRebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
per game. He would lead the team to a second title in 1991, while he averaged 19 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. After the 1991 season, Ortíz left the league to play in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He would return in 1994 to lead San Germán to yet another title.
In 1998, Ortíz was released by San Germán. He then went to play for the Cangrejeros de Santurce, and helped them win four titles in a row (1998-2001). In 2002, Ortíz was named Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the league, although his team did not reach the Finals. Ortíz and the Cangrejeros won another title again in 2003, making Ortíz only the third player to win eight titles in the league.
He played two more years with Santurce, and in 2006 he played with the Capitanes de Arecibo. However, he retired after just one season with the team. He finished his career with 8,915 points, 5,314 rebounds (#6), and 1,134 assists in 505 regular season games. To this day, he is considered by many experts as the best Puerto Rican basketball player.
College career
Ortíz attended Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
from 1985-1987 where he was instructed by legendary coach Ralph Miller
Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller was an American basketball coach. A native of Chanute, Kansas, Miller coached at the University of Wichita , the University of Iowa and Oregon State University , compiling a 657-382 overall record in 38 seasons combined...
and was a teammate of future NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton during the latter's freshman year. During his two seasons with the Beavers
Oregon State Beavers men's basketball
The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig...
, he averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. After the 1986-87 season, he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year defeating (among others) Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
of UCLA. He also earned NCAA All-American honors in the 1986–1987 NCAA season.
NBA career
After graduating from Oregon State University, Ortíz entered the 1987 NBA Draft1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
. He was selected #15 by the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
becoming the first Puerto Rican to be selected in an NBA draft. However, before his first season, he received an offer from the CAI Zaragoza in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and he accepted. Ortíz rejoined the Jazz for the 1988-89 season
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
, debuting on November 9, 1988. During his first season, Ortíz played 51 games, starting in 15. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
Ortíz returned to the NBA for the 1989-90 season
1989-90 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
, playing in 13 games before being waived by the team on February 5, 1990. He finished his brief NBA career with an average of 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Ortíz wore #44 during his NBA career.
International career
Ortíz played for the CAI Zaragoza basketball team in 1987. During that season, he was the second leading scorer of the team with 17.4 points per game. However, he then returned to play with the Utah JazzUtah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA. After being waived by the Jazz in 1990, Ortíz was hired by the Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
basketball team in Spain. During that time, he played with Fernando Romay
Fernando Romay
Fernando Manuel Romay Pereiro is a retired basketball player from Spain, who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1980. At his second Olympic appearance he won the silver medal with the Spain national basketball team...
, Antonio Martín Espina
Antonio Martín Espina
Antonio Martín Espina is a Spanish retired basketball player. He played for Real Madrid twelve years: since 1983 until 1995...
, and José "Chechu" Biriukov. After that season, he went to the FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona Bàsquet
FC Barcelona Bàsquet, known as FC Barcelona Regal for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club. It is part of the FC Barcelona sports club and was founded on August 24, 1926 which makes it the oldest club in Liga ACB. The club competes in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto...
where he won the Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
The Copa del Rey de Baloncesto is an annual cup competition for Spanish basketball teams organized by Spain's top professional league, Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto. It was originally known as the Copa de España de Baloncesto and was first played in 1933. It was the first nationwide...
in 1991 and finished second at the Euroleague. During that season, he was one of the team's leading rebounder.
After that, Ortíz played for the Festina Andorra
BC Andorra
Bàsquet Club Andorra, also known as River Andorra, is a basketball club based in Andorra la Vella, Andorra which plays in the Spanish basketball league system.The team currently plays in LEB Plata.-Current roster:-Season by season:...
(1992-1993), the Unicaja Málaga (1993-1994), the Gymnastikos S. Larissas (1994-1995), the Iraklio Creta
Iraklio BC
Irakleio BC, also spelled Iraklio BC, or Heraklion BC, is a Greek professional basketball club that is based in the city of Irakleio, on the island of Crete, in Greece.-History:...
(1995-1996) and the Aris Thessaloniki (1996-1997). In 1997, he helped the Aris team win the Korać Cup
Korac Cup
The Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
. After that season, Ortíz was offered approximately more than $1 million by the PAOK B.C. but the contract was declared null when laboratory tests for steroids allegedly came positive. Ortíz appealed the decision and won, but refused to return to Europe to play.
In 1997, Ortíz played for the Guaiqueríes de Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
in the Venezuelan league.
Olympic career
In 1982, Ortiz reached the minimum age to join Puerto Rico's national basketball team, and in 1983, he saw his first international competition, at the Pan American GamesPan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
of Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. At the 1987 Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
, Ortíz was the flag-bearer for Puerto Rico. They won the bronze medal on that tournament. In 1991, Ortiz helped the Puerto Rican National basketball team earn a gold medal at the Pan American Games, held in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
After the 2002 world championships of basketball
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
, held at Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Ortiz announced his retirement from the national team, to coincide with national teammate Jerome Mincy
Jerome Mincy
Jerome Alfred Mincy Clark is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player of American parents. Mincy has played in the NCAA with the UAB Blazers and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with Bayamón Cowboys...
's retirement from the team. He would reconsider his decision later and rejoin the national team. In 2004, he was part of the team that defeated the United States men's national basketball team at the Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
.
Entrepreneur
Ortíz opened a restaurant called Patria in his hometown of Cayey. However, in 2003 the restaurant went bankrupt.Politics
Ortiz became interested in politics after meeting politician Ferdinand Pérez in 2000. Pérez sought Ortíz advice for legislative measures related to sports. Although reluctant at first, Ortíz finally accepted to run for Senator behind Pérez' campaign for Mayor of San Juan for the Popular Democratic PartyPopular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
. Ortíz ran for senatorial candidate from the district of San Juan-Guaynabo in Puerto Rico's 2008 general elections
Puerto Rican general election, 2008
The Puerto Rico general election of 2008, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 was the most recent election to select the Governor of Puerto Rico.The election was won by Luis G...
. However, both their bids were unsuccessful. Pérez has said that Ortíz distanced from politics after the defeat.
Social activism
In May 28, 2011, Ortíz officially opened in Cayey the Piculín Ortíz Basketball Institute. The center aims to develop the basketball skills and performance of children and teenagers.Personal life
Ortíz married Nirita Ruíz with whom he had two children, including one daughter. However, they divorced in 2006.Legal problems
On June 29, 2011 Ortiz was arrested for drug related charges. Federal agents seized 218 marijuana plants in a rented property along with munitions for AR-15AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
rifles. Ortíz allegedly claimed possession of all the material during the arrest. At the bail hearing, Ortíz was legally represented by a public defender since he claimed he had no money for a lawyer. At the hearing, the judge decided to send Ortíz to a rehabilitation clinic.
NCAA
|-| align="left" | 1985-86
| align="left" | Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers men's basketball
The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig...
| 22 || - || 34.8 || .515 || - || .664 || 8.5 || - || 0.6 || 1.5 || 16.4
|-
| align="left" | 1986-87
| align="left" | Oregon State
| 30 || - || 36.7 || .584 || - || .725 || 8.7 || - || 1.2 || 1.4 || 22.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 52 || - || 35.9 || .557 || .500 || .703 || 8.7 || 1.5 || 0.9 || 1.4 || 19.8
NBA
|-| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 51 || 15 || 6.4 || .440 || .000 || .596 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 2.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 13 || 0 || 4.9 || .452 || .500 || .600 || 1.2 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 3.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 63 || 15 || 6.1 || .443 || .333 || .596 || 1.1 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 2.9
BSN
|-| align="left" | 1980
| align="left" | San Germán
| 6 || .500 || .000 || .800 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 1981
| align="left" | San Germán
| 9 || .357 || .000 || .400 || 1.6 || 0.0 || 1.6
|-
| align="left" | 1982
| align="left" | San Germán
| 14 || .356 || .000 || .500 || 3.1 || 0.0 || 2.9
|-
| align="left" | 1983
| align="left" | San Germán
| 33 || .549 || .000 || .606 || 10.3 || 0.6 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 1984
| align="left" | San Germán
| 29 || .575 || .000 || .631 || 13.1 || 1.1 || 21.1
|-
| align="left" | 1985
| align="left" | San Germán
| 29 || .610 || .400 || .660 || 14.4 || 0.9 || 25.5
|-
| align="left" | 1986
| align="left" | San Germán
| 24 || .568 || .000 || .678 || 11.3 || 1.7 || 18.8
|-
| align="left" | 1987
| align="left" | San Germán
| 22 || .636 || .500 || .769 || 13.7 || 1.8 || 23.7
|-
| align="left" | 1988
| align="left" | San Germán
| 31 || .590 || .200 || .768 || 11.5 || 2.3 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 1989
| align="left" | San Germán
| 23 || .569 || .000 || .752 || 11.0 || 2.1 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1990
| align="left" | San Germán
| 19 || .630 || .688 || .774 || 12.7 || 2.8 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 1991
| align="left" | San Germán
| 11 || .614 || .333 || .768 || 15.8 || 2.3 || 19.9
|-
| align="left" | 1994
| align="left" | San Germán
| 14 || .636 || .000 || .818 || 9.6 || 3.4 || 17.3
|-
| align="left" | 1995
| align="left" | San Germán
| 19 || .594 || .296 || .731 || 11.8 || 2.9 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 1996
| align="left" | San Germán
| 25 || .647 || .400 || .711 || 13.8 || 3.3 || 20.5
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | Santurce
| 29 || .608 || .269 || .704 || 12.6 || 3.5 || 19.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Santurce
| 18 || .609 || .250 || .667 || 10.1 || 3.3 || 20.6
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Santurce
| 28 || .575 || .273 || .663 || 9.0 || 3.0 || 18.0
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | Santurce
| 23 || .576 || .238 || .656 || 10.1 || 2.8 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | Santurce
| 27 || .603 || .333 || .629 || 9.6 || 3.3 || 19.4
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Santurce
| 16 || .457 || .318 || .464 || 8.6 || 3.6 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2004
| align="left" | Santurce
| 29 || .498 || .000 || .623 || 7.4 || 3.0 || 10.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005
| align="left" | Santurce
| 23 || .496 || .286 || .404 || 6.5 || 1.9 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006
| align="left" | Arecibo
| 4 || .474 || .000 || .500 || 5.5 || 1.5 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 505 || .582 || .307 || .680 || 10.5 || 2.2 || 17.7