Search Results - Mario Morales

Mario Morales

Mario Morales Micheo (born November 13, 1957) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player, widely regarded as one of the greatest talents in the history of Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Nicknamed "Quijote" for his ability to excel in both scoring and leading teams to championships, Morales had a distinguished 24-season career in the BSN, primarily with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and the Mets de Guaynabo.

Morales began his professional career in 1974 with the Cangrejeros de Santurce at age 17, while still in high school, and was named the BSN Rookie of the Year in 1975. He went on to become a four-time BSN Most Valuable Player (1980, 1982, 1983, 1993), a record shared with Juan "Pachín" Vicéns and Teófilo Cruz. Morales led the Mets de Guaynabo to three BSN championships (1980, 1982, 1989) and amassed 15,293 career points, making him the second-highest scorer in BSN history at the time of his retirement in 1998, behind only Georgie Torres. He also contributed to the team's silver medal at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan.

Internationally, Morales represented Puerto Rico in two Olympic Games (1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona), showcasing his skills on a global stage. After a brief stint playing college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats in the 1975–76 season, where he averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 rebounds, he returned to Puerto Rico to focus on his professional career due to language challenges.

Following his retirement in 1998, the Guaynabo Mets Pavilion was renamed the Mario Quijote Morales Coliseum in his honor, and a large painting of him in a Mets uniform adorns its entrance. Provided by Wikipedia