Puerto Rican basketball icon Jose "Piculin" Ortiz has died at age 62 after a long fight with colorectal cancer, the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation confirmed Tuesday.
"Today, Puerto Rico loses more than an athlete. It loses a legend," the federation said. "Your legacy will live on in every court and in every generation you inspired."
Born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, in 1963, the 6-foot-10 Ortiz dominated the domestic league, winning a record eight national championships. After playing college ball at Oregon State, he was drafted 15th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1990.
He made his mark in Europe, playing for top Spanish clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ortiz was a cornerstone of the Puerto Rican national team for two decades, famously leading the squad that stunned the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2019.