 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-01-08)January 8, 1942 |
| Died | August 30, 2005(2005-08-30) (aged 63) |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | New York University (1961–1962) Seattle University (1962–1965) |
| NBA draft | 1965: 6th round, 55th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Playing career | 1957–1982 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 13 |
| Career history | |
| 1957–1964 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| 1965–1966 | Picadero Damm |
| 1966–1969 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| 1969–1970 | Racing Club Mechelen |
| 1970–1976 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| 1977–1978 | Indios de Canóvanas |
| 1979 | Mets de Guaynabo |
| 1980 | Cardenales de Río Piedras |
| 1981–1982 | Taínos de Mayagüez |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Medals | |
Teófilo "Teo" Cruz Downs (January 8, 1942 – August 30, 2005) was a Puerto Rican professionalbasketball player. After playingcollege basketball, Cruz played in Puerto Rico's top-level league, theBaloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) withCangrejeros de Santurce,Indios de Canóvanas,Mets de Guaynabo,Cardenales de Río Piedras, andTaínos de Mayagüez. Cruz also played in Spain withPicadero Damm, and in Belgium withRacing Club Mechelen.
Cruz was also a member of the seniorPuerto Rican national basketball team, and he represented Puerto Rico in fiveSummer Olympic Games, from1960 to1976, making him the first athlete to do so. On March 1, 2007, he became anInternational Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Famer.
Cruz playedcollege basketball in theUnited States. He was originally a member ofNew York University'sNYU Violets (1961–1962), but he transferred toSeattle University, where he was a member of theSeattle Redhawks (1962–1965).[1][2] After his college career, he was selected with the 55th overall pick of the1965 NBA draft, by theLos Angeles Lakers.[3]
Cruz played for 25 seasons in theBaloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) of Puerto Rico. He was theleague's Most Valuable Player 4 times. He was also selected the league's Defensive Player of the Year a record five times. He played with theSanturce Crabbers,Indios de Canóvanas,Mets de Guaynabo,Cardenales de Río Piedras, andTaínos de Mayagüez.
He also led the league in points per game twice, and was the first player ever to reach 9,000 total points scored in the BSN. In total, he scored 9,535 points, for an average of 16.3 points per game. He also grabbed 4,672 total rebounds, for an average of 8.0 rebounds per game. He also had 605 assists, during his twenty-five-year career.[4]
Cruz was the startingcenter of the seniorPuerto Rican national basketball team, at the times when Puerto Rico andBrazil were the two dominant teams in theFIBA Americas region, excluding theUnited States. Cruz was the first men's basketball player to compete at five differentSummer Olympics. That feat was matched twenty years later by Brazilian playerOscar Schmidt, at the1996 Summer Olympics, and later by Australian playerAndrew Gaze, at the2000 Summer Olympics, and by Spanish playerJuan Carlos Navarro at the2016 Summer Olympics.
Cruz also played at the1974 FIBA World Championship, in Puerto Rico, and at numerousPan American Games andCentroBasket tournaments.
Cruz died on August 30, 2005, of abrain hemorrhage. After his death, on August 31, 2005, the sports complex inSan Juan was named after him, in his honor. Also, before a game between thePuerto Rican andVenezuelan national teams, a moment of silence was held in his memory.
Links to related articles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
