Rafa Martínez
Encyclopedia
Rafael Martinez Aguilera, known as Rafa Martínez (Born March 3, 1982 in Santpedor
, Barcelona
, Spain
) is a Spanish
basketball
player. He plays shooting guard
position and his current team is Power Electronics Valencia of the Spanish ACB League.
eventually rising from clubs junior team ranks. The team previously played in the Spanish second division LEB
but was promoted to the Spanish League for the 1999-2000 season where on October 9, 1999 he made his professional debut in the top Spanish league against FC Barcelona
. The following season he spent in the Basketball team Club Basket Vic. After spending two years in the Valls Felix Hotel in LEB-2, he returned to the Basquet Manresa in 2003. In 2008 he joined Valencia BC team that later won the Eurocup in 2010. In the 2009-10 season he had the best three-point percentage in the ACB League.
2002 played in Vilnius
(Lithuania
), and won the bronze medal with the B-team at the Mediterranean Games 2005
played in Almería
(Spain).
In June 2010 he was included on the list of 24 candidates for the Spanish national basketball team, but did not make the final 12-man roster for 2010 FIBA World Championship
.
Santpedor
Santpedor is a municipality and town in the comarca of Bages, central Catalonia, Spain. It is located north to Manresa, in the flattest sector of Bages. Sights includes the Romanesque-Gothic church of St. Peter, and the Hermitage of St. Francis. It's also known as the birthplace of former FC...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) is a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
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 plays shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
position and his current team is Power Electronics Valencia of the Spanish ACB League.
Pro career
Rafa Martínez started playing basketball for Basquet ManresaBasquet Manresa
Bàsquet Manresa, S.A.D., known as Assignia Manresa for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Manresa, Catalonia, Spain, playing in Liga ACB. The team was founded in 1931. They are currently playing their home games at the Pavelló Nou Congost...
eventually rising from clubs junior team ranks. The team previously played in the Spanish second division LEB
Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto is the second league of the Spanish basketball league system behind the ACB. It is run by the FEB. The Liga Española de Baloncesto is divided into two categories and they are sponsored by Adecco. The names of the two leagues are Adecco Oro and Adecco Plata.The LEB league...
but was promoted to the Spanish League for the 1999-2000 season where on October 9, 1999 he made his professional debut in the top Spanish league against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona Bàsquet
FC Barcelona Bàsquet, known as FC Barcelona Regal for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club. It is part of the FC Barcelona sports club and was founded on August 24, 1926 which makes it the oldest club in Liga ACB. The club competes in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto...
. The following season he spent in the Basketball team Club Basket Vic. After spending two years in the Valls Felix Hotel in LEB-2, he returned to the Basquet Manresa in 2003. In 2008 he joined Valencia BC team that later won the Eurocup in 2010. In the 2009-10 season he had the best three-point percentage in the ACB League.
Spanish national team
He has been with the Spanish national basketball team from the youth level. With the U-20 he won the silver medal at the U-20 European Basketball ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-20 Championship
FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, previously known as European Championship for Men 'Under22 and Under, is a basketball competition inaugurated in 1992. Until 2004 it was held biannually, but from 2004 onwards it is held every year. The current champions are Spain.Since 2005, a second level...
2002 played in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
(Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
), and won the bronze medal with the B-team at the Mediterranean Games 2005
2005 Mediterranean Games
The XVth Mediterranean Games Almería 2005, commonly known as the 2005 Mediterranean Games were the 15th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Almería, Spain over 10 days, from 24 June to 3 July 2005, where 3,214 athletes from 21 countries participated...
played in Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
(Spain).
In June 2010 he was included on the list of 24 candidates for the Spanish national basketball team, but did not make the final 12-man roster for 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
.