Teófilo Cruz

Infobox NBA Player
name = Teófilo Cruz


nickname = Teó
league = BSN
height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8
weight_lbs = 179
position = Center
birth_date = birth date|1942|8|1|mf=y
birth_place = Santurce, Puerto Rico
team =
college =
nationality = PUR
draft = Undrafted
draft_team =
draft_year =
career_start = 1960
career_end = 1985
awards = BSN MVP 4 times, Defensive Player of the year 5 times

Teófilo Cruz Downs (born August 1, 1942 – August 30, 2005) was a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Cruz has played in the NCAA, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with Santurce Crabbers, Guaynabo Mets, Canovanas Indians, Rio Piedras Cardinals, and Mayagüez Tainos. Cruz has played internationally in Spain with Picadero Damm. Cruz was a member of the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team and represented Puerto Rico in five Olympic Games. On March 1, 2007 he was selected to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame.

Biography

Cruz is one of three players to have participated in five Olympics (the other players are Oscar Schmidt and Andrew Gaze). Cruz played for 25 seasons in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) of Puerto Rico and was the Most Valuable Player 4 times. He was also selected the defensive player of the year a record five times . Playing with Santurce Crabbers, Guaynabo Mets, Canovanas Indians, Rio Piedras, and Mayagüez Tainos. Teo also led the league in points per game twice and was the first player ever to reach 9,000 points in the BSN (9535 points to be exact). Teo was the starting center of the Puerto Rican National basketball team in the times when Puerto Rico and Brazil were the two dominant teams in the Americas outside the United States. Teo is one of four Puerto Rican basketball players to have carried the nation's flag for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Teo did this in 1976 during the Montreal Olympics (the others were Carlos Arroyo (Athens 2004), Jose "Tonin" Casillas (Rome 1960), and Jaime Frontera (Mexico 1968). After Teo's death in August 31, 2005, they decided to name the sports complex in San Juan in his honor. And before a game against Venezuela, a moment of Silence was held in memory of Teofilo Cruz. He died on August 30, 2005 of a brain hemorrhage.

Career stats

During his career in the National Superior Basketball league, Cruz scored 9,512 points with an average of 16.3 points per game. He captured 4,672 rebounds with an average of 8.0 rebounds per game. He also had 605 assists during his twenty five year career.

International honors and career accomplishments

*On March 1, 2007, Cruz was selected to the FIBA Hall of Fame, he was the first player from America to be inducted in the international Hall of Fame, he was part of the first introduction class in history. Cruz participated in 5 Olympic Games in Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, and Montreal 1976; 1 FIBA World Championship in Puerto Rico 1974; and in numerous Panamerican and Centroamerican Games.

*National Superior Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award 1962

*National Superior Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award 1967

*National Superior Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award 1970

*National Superior Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award 1971

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

* [http://www.endi.com/noticia/baloncesto/deportes/para_la_eternidad/171735 El Nuevo Dia article]
* [http://www.halloffame.fiba.com/pages/eng/hof/indu/p/lid_9024_newsid/18009/playBio.html FIBA Hall of Fame page on Cruz]
* [http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cr/teo-cruz-1.html sports-reference]