Raúl Feliciano

Raúl "Tinajón" Feliciano Rodríguez (July 31, 1930 – July 17, 2016) was a Puerto Rican professional basketball player and lawyer. He played basketball professionally in Puerto Rico in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Feliciano and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
Raúl Feliciano
Personal information
Born(1930-07-31)July 31, 1930
Ciales, Puerto Rico
DiedJuly 17, 2016(2016-07-17) (aged 85)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
NationalityPuerto Rican
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolRío Piedras (Río Piedras, Puerto Rico)
CollegeUniversity of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras (1945–1949)
Playing career1947–1967
PositionCenter
Career history
1947–1951Gallitos de la UPR
1952–1953Santos de San Juan
1954–1956Cardenales de Río Piedras
1961, 1963, 1967Santos de San Juan
Career highlights and awards
  • 3× BSN champion (1951, 1955–1956)
  • 2× BSN Most Valuable Player (1951, 1955)
  • 6× BSN scoring champion (1948–1952, 1955)
  • First Player in BSN to score 40pts in a game (1949)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Puerto Rico
Central American and Caribbean Games
1954 México CityTeam competition

Basketball career

Feliciano made his debut in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league in 1947 with the UPR of Río Piedras, averaging 7.78 points in 14 games. He was the BSN Scoring Champion from 1948 to 1952 before Fufi Santori became the scoring champion in 1953.[1] His scoring ability began a media coverage not seen before in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) and prompted a new record assistance of 114,468 paying fans for the BSN league. He finished his career with 4,719 points in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. In the process he became the first player in the BSN to score 40 or more points in a basketball game, a feat he achieved with the Gallitos de la UPR on September 5, 1949, scoring 46 points in the triumph, 83–66, against the Cardenales de Río Piedras. Similarly, he was the first to average over 20 points per game in a season in the BSN league.

Feliciano became the first Puerto Rican basketball player to receive offers from National Basketball Association teams such as the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. His offensive profile included two main shots: a right hook shot and the jumpshot.[2]

Personal life

Feliciano was born in Ciales, Puerto Rico on July 31, 1930. At an early age, he became interested in basketball and played at the Escuela Superior de Río Piedras. In 1945 Feliciano began his studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. At age 18, he graduated in Business Administration and two years later as a lawyer. Feliciano died on July 17, 2016 at his home in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[3]

References
  1. "BSN de luto ante fallecimiento de José "Fufi" Santori" (in Spanish). bsnpr.com. April 2, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  2. "Raúl "Tinajón" Feliciano es un sobreviviente de la fama". Primera Hora (in Spanish). April 2, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  3. "Fallece gloria del baloncesto local". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). July 17, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
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