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Jos\u00e9 \u201cPicul\u00edn\u201d Ortiz, a center who played briefly in the NBA<\/a> but was considered one of the greatest Puerto Rican players of all time, died on Tuesday. He was 62.<\/p>\n The Puerto Rico Basketball Federation confirmed that Ortiz died. He had colorectal cancer since late 2023 and died at the Ashford Hospital in San Juan<\/a> with his wife, Sylvia R\u00edos, and daughter Neira Ortiz present.<\/p>\n \u201cPuerto Rico loses more than an athlete. It loses a legend,\u201d the basketball federation said in a statement. \u201cThank you for so much joy, for representing our flag with pride, and for taking the island\u2019s name to the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n Ortiz played for two years at Oregon State where he was the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1986-87, averaging 22.3 points and 8.7 rebounds. He was selected 15th in the 1987 NBA draft by the Utah<\/a> Jazz.<\/p>\n