Editing José Ortiz (basketball) (section)

===Europe===
Ortiz joined the [[Spanish ACB League]] club [[CB Zaragoza|CAI Zaragoza]] in 1987. During the [[1987–88 ACB season]], he was the second leading scorer of the team, with a scoring average of 17.4 points per game.<ref>[http://www.acb.com/stsacum.php?cod_competicion=LACB&cod_edicion=32&cod_equipo=ZAR&totales=0 CAI Basket Zaragoza 1987-88] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006181150/http://www.acb.com/stsacum.php?cod_competicion=LACB&cod_edicion=32&cod_equipo=ZAR&totales=0 |date=2012-10-06 }} on ACB.com</ref> After that season, he returned to the [[United States|U.S.]], to play with the [[Utah Jazz]] of the [[NBA]].

After being waived by the Jazz in 1990, Ortiz was signed by the Spanish club [[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]]. While a member of Real Madrid, he played with players such as [[Fernando Romay]], [[Antonio Martín Espina]], and [[José Biriukov|José "Chechu" Biriukov]]. After that season, he moved to the Spanish club [[FC Barcelona Bàsquet|FC Barcelona Banca Catalana]], where he won the [[1991 Copa del Rey de Baloncesto|1991 edition]] of the [[Spanish Basketball King's Cup|Spanish King's Cup]]. With Barcelona, he also finished in second place in the [[1990–91 FIBA EuroLeague|1990–91 FIBA European Champions Cup]] ([[EuroLeague]]) season. During the [[1991–92 ACB season]], he was one of the team's leading rebounders.<ref>[http://www.acb.com/stsacum.php?cod_competicion=LACB&cod_edicion=36&cod_equipo=BAR&totales=0 FC Barcelona 1991-92] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006181207/http://www.acb.com/stsacum.php?cod_competicion=LACB&cod_edicion=36&cod_equipo=BAR&totales=0 |date=2012-10-06 }} on ACB.com</ref>

After that, Ortiz played with the Spanish clubs [[BC Andorra|Festina Andorra]] (1992–93), [[Baloncesto Málaga|Unicaja Polti]] (1993–94), and the [[Greek Basket League]] clubs [[Gymnastikos S. Larissas B.C.|Gymnastikos S. Larissas]] (1994–95), [[Iraklio B.C.|Iraklio Crete]] (1995–96), and [[Aris B.C.|Aris Thessaloniki]] (1996–97). Ortiz helped Aris to win the championship of the [[1996–97 FIBA Korać Cup]] season.<ref>[http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/o/ortiz_jose_rafael.htm Biografia de Jose Piculin Ortiz] on BiografiasyVidas</ref> After his season with Aris, Ortiz was offered a two-year contract that was worth approximately $1 million in [[net income]] per season, by the Greek club [[P.A.O.K. BC|PAOK Thessaloniki]]. However, the contract was declared null and void, when laboratory tests for [[steroids]] allegedly came back positive. Ortiz appealed the decision and won, but he refused to return to Europe to play.<ref>[http://www.elnuevodia.com/unafortunaqueseleesfumoapiculinortiz-1006944.html Una fortuna que se le esfumó a Piculín Ortiz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707110449/http://www.elnuevodia.com/unafortunaqueseleesfumoapiculinortiz-1006944.html |date=2011-07-07 }} on ''[[El Nuevo Día]]'' (July 3, 2011)</ref>