Overview
- The Puerto Rican Basketball Federation said Tuesday that Ortiz, 62, died of colorectal cancer at San Juan’s Ashford Hospital, where he had been admitted since May 1.
- Ortiz was a four-time Olympian and a 2019 FIBA Hall of Fame inductee who helped Puerto Rico stun the United States at the Athens 2004 Games.
- He played for the Utah Jazz and became one of the first Puerto Ricans in the NBA, then starred in Europe with CAI Zaragoza, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Aris Thessaloniki.
- Condolences poured in from sports leaders and entertainers, including Olympic committee president Sara Rosario, baseball figure Alex Cora and artist Bad Bunny.
- He disclosed his colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2023 and underwent surgery in 2025 before a relapse, a battle that drew public appeals for support from Puerto Rico’s basketball authorities.