 Manolo Raga in 1971. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1944-03-14)March 14, 1944 (age 81) Aldama, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 1970: 10th round, 167th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Atlanta Hawks |
| Playing career | 1963–1979 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 15 |
| Career history | |
| 1963–1968 | Villa Aldama |
| 1968–1974 | Ignis Varese |
| 1974–1979 | Federale Lugano |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Medals | |
Manuel "Manolo" Raga Navarro (born March 14, 1944) is a Mexican former professionalbasketball player. During his playing career, he was nicknamed, "The Flying Mexican",[1] due to his nationality and his one of a kind 43 inch standing (no step)vertical leap.[2] In 2008, he was named one of the50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. In 2016, he became aFIBA Hall of Fame player.
Raga played professionally forVarese in theItalian League, from 1968 to 1974, and with them, he won threeEuroLeague championships. In 1970, he became the first player from an international league to be selected in theNBA draft,[3] whenAtlanta Hawksgeneral manager,Marty Blake, took him with the 167th overall pick. He also would be the only true international selection from theAmerican Basketball Association when thePittsburgh Condors took him as their final selection ever in the franchise's history during the 18th round before going defunct later in 1972. However, Raga never played either in theNBA or the rivaling ABA.
Raga was a part of the seniornational team of Mexico. He won a gold medal at the 1965CentroBasket, and a silver medal at the1967 Pan American Games.[4] He also played with Mexico in three differentSummer Olympic Games, at the1964 Summer Olympics, the1968 Summer Olympics, and the1976 Summer Olympics. He also played in 3 differentFIBA World Cups, atBrazil 1963, atUruguay 1967, and atPuerto Rico 1974.[5]
