José Ortiz, a Puerto Rican basketball player for Atléticos de San Germán, Cangrejeros de Santurce and the national team, died on May 5, 2026, at age 62 of colorectal cancer.
Born in Aibonito in 1963, Ortiz was a former professional player who also played in the NBA, with the Utah Jazz, as well as in Europe and in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He played college basketball for Oregon State and was a member of the senior Puerto Rican national team from 1983 to 2004.
José Ortiz, 62, Puerto Rican basketball player (Atléticos de San Germán, Cangrejeros de Santurce, national team), colorectal cancer.