Miguel Cortijo
Encyclopedia
Miguel Alberto Cortijo is a retired Argentine
basketball
player. He spent his mostly career at Ferro Carril Oeste
, club where he won 4 local titles. Cortijo is considerer one of the best point guard
s in Argentine basketball history.
, playing in youth categories. He would be later drafted by León Najnudel
(considered "the father" of the Liga Nacional de Básquet) who was coaching Ferro Carril Oeste
at that time. Cortijo was only 18 when he was incorporated by Ferro where he spent most of his career, playing 14 consecutive years for the club. With Cortijo in the team, Ferro Carril Oeste won the 1980 Metropolitano championship and the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
in 1981 and 1982.
In 1984 the Liga Nacional was created and Ferro won the 1985 and 1986 championships. The team also was the 1987 runner-up losing the finals against Atenas de Córdoba of Marcelo Milanesio
and Héctor Campana
. Cortijo continued playing for Ferro until 1990, where the club achieved a new Liga championship (in 1989, being coached by his mentor Najnudel) and the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
in 1986.
Cortijo was signed by Peñarol de Mar del Plata where he spent a year after returning to Ferro where he played another season. He then played in Club Olímpico (from his home town, La Banda) and then was signed by Boca Juniors for the 1993-94 season, where he met León Najnudel again, although the team did not win any title. In 1994 Cortijo played for Siderca (located in the city of Campana, Buenos Aires Province. His next team was Independiente de General Pico, from La Pampa Province
where he won a new Sudamericano de Clubes championship although the team would be defeated by Boca Juniors at the Liga Nacional finals. Cortijo ended his career playing for Regatas Corrientes in 1998.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He spent his mostly career at Ferro Carril Oeste
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or Ferro, is a sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club was founded on July 28, 1904 by 95 railway workers from the Buenos Aires Western Railway...
, club where he won 4 local titles. Cortijo is considerer one of the best point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
s in Argentine basketball history.
Career
Cortijo started his career at Club INTI of Santiago del EsteroSantiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
, playing in youth categories. He would be later drafted by León Najnudel
León Najnudel
León David Najnudel was an Argentine basketball player and coach, and the main driving force in the creation of the Liga Nacional de Básquet, the first nationwide yearly professional basketball league in Argentina....
(considered "the father" of the Liga Nacional de Básquet) who was coaching Ferro Carril Oeste
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or Ferro, is a sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club was founded on July 28, 1904 by 95 railway workers from the Buenos Aires Western Railway...
at that time. Cortijo was only 18 when he was incorporated by Ferro where he spent most of his career, playing 14 consecutive years for the club. With Cortijo in the team, Ferro Carril Oeste won the 1980 Metropolitano championship and the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
The Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes is an international men's basketball cup competition organized by the South American Basketball Confederation and played annually by invitee South American clubs.-Format:...
in 1981 and 1982.
In 1984 the Liga Nacional was created and Ferro won the 1985 and 1986 championships. The team also was the 1987 runner-up losing the finals against Atenas de Córdoba of Marcelo Milanesio
Marcelo Milanesio
Marcelo Gustavo Milanesio is an Argentine former professional basketball player. One of the most important figures in Argentine basketball, he obtained 16 Argentine championships, and was twice named MVP. He was also the player with most assists in at the 1994 World Championship...
and Héctor Campana
Héctor Campana
Héctor Oscar "Pichi" Campana is an Argentine former basketball player and current vice-governor of his native Córdoba Province, for the Justicialist Party. At club level, Campana won 7 times the Liga Nacional de Básquet and 3 times the Liga Sudamericana...
. Cortijo continued playing for Ferro until 1990, where the club achieved a new Liga championship (in 1989, being coached by his mentor Najnudel) and the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
The Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes is an international men's basketball cup competition organized by the South American Basketball Confederation and played annually by invitee South American clubs.-Format:...
in 1986.
Cortijo was signed by Peñarol de Mar del Plata where he spent a year after returning to Ferro where he played another season. He then played in Club Olímpico (from his home town, La Banda) and then was signed by Boca Juniors for the 1993-94 season, where he met León Najnudel again, although the team did not win any title. In 1994 Cortijo played for Siderca (located in the city of Campana, Buenos Aires Province. His next team was Independiente de General Pico, from La Pampa Province
La Pampa Province
La Pampa is a sparsely populated province of Argentina, located in the Pampas in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise San Luis, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza.-History:...
where he won a new Sudamericano de Clubes championship although the team would be defeated by Boca Juniors at the Liga Nacional finals. Cortijo ended his career playing for Regatas Corrientes in 1998.
Liga Nacional de Básquet
- Ferro Carril Oeste: 4 (1980, 1985, 1986, 1989)
-
- Note: the 1980 championship was under other denomination so the Liga Nacional had not been created
Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes
- Ferro Carril Oeste: 3 (1981, 1982, 1987)
- Independiente de Gral. Pico: 1 (1996)
Torneo de Apertura de la Federación de Buenos Aires
- Ferro Carril Oeste: 3 (1980, 1981, 1982)
National team
- Bronce Medal (Torneo de las Américas, Pre-Olympic Games, 1980)
- Gold Medal (Campeonato SudamericanoSouth American Basketball ChampionshipSouth American Basketball Championship was first played in 1930. Male teams from South America take part in this tournament, which often has been played biannually.-Summaries:-Championships per nation:-Participation details:-External links:* *...
, 1987)
Personal honours
- Olimpia de PlataOlimpia AwardThe Olimpia Award is a sport award in Argentina, given every year by the Argentine Sports Journalists' Circle since 1954.An Olimpia de Plata is awarded to one of the candidates of each one of the 41 sports disciplines...
: 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987 - Konex AwardKonex AwardKonex Foundation awards, or simple Konex awards are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation to Argentine cultural personalities.Created in 1980, where conceived as a way to reward the Argentine personalities and institutions of different fields, as well as to stimulate the beginners.Even though...
: 1990 - Konex FoundationKonex FoundationKonex Foundation is an Argentine cultural non-profit organization created in 1980 to promote, stimulate, help, and participate in any form of cultural, educational, intellectual, artistic, social, philanthropic, scientific or sports initiative, work, and enterprise, in their most relevant aspects,...
(Certificate of Distinction): 1990 - Number 11 retired by QuimsaQuimsa-Retired numbers:* 11 - Miguel Cortijo - Although Cortijo never played for the club, the #11 jersey was retired honoring him. -External links:* *...
Statistics
- 396 matches played at the Liga Nacional
- 4,201 points scored at the Liga Nacional (10,6 pts. per game)