José “Piculín” Ortiz, a center remembered as one of the most accomplished Puerto Rican basketball players of all time, has died at the age of 62.
Ortiz had a brief career in the NBA, but his reputation was built far beyond that stretch, where he became a towering figure in Puerto Rican basketball history. Known by his nickname “Piculín,” Ortiz was closely associated with the sport’s growth and prominence on the island.
His death marks the loss of one of Puerto Rico’s most recognizable basketball figures, a player whose legacy extended well beyond his time in the NBA.