Manuel Raga Explained

Manolo Raga
Birth Date:14 March 1944
Birth Place:Aldama, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:170
Draft Year:1970
Draft Round:10
Draft Pick:167
Draft Team:Atlanta Hawks
Career Start:1963
Career End:1979
Career Position:Shooting guard
Career Number:15
Years1:1963–1968
Team1:Villa Aldama
Years2:1968–1974
Team2:Ignis Varese
Years3:1974–1979
Team3:Federale Lugano
Highlights:
Fiba Hof Player:Manuel-Raga
Show-Medals:yes

Manuel "Manolo" Raga Navarro (born March 14, 1944) is a Mexican former professional basketball player. During his playing career, he was nicknamed, "The Flying Mexican",[1] due to his nationality and his one of a kind 43 inch standing (no step) vertical leap.[2] In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. In 2016, he became a FIBA Hall of Fame player.

Club career

Raga played professionally for Varese in the Italian League, from 1968 to 1974, and with them, he won three EuroLeague championships. In 1970, he became the first player from an international league to be selected in the NBA draft,[3] when Atlanta Hawks general manager, Marty Blake, took him with the 167th overall pick. However, Raga never played in the NBA.

National team career

Raga was a part of the senior national team of Mexico. He won a gold medal at the 1965 CentroBasket, and a silver medal at the 1967 Pan American Games. He also played with Mexico in three different Summer Olympic Games, at the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1968 Summer Olympics, and the 1976 Summer Olympics. He also played in 3 different FIBA World Cups, at Brazil 1963, at Uruguay 1967, and at Puerto Rico 1974.[4]

Awards and accomplishments

Club career

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/olympics/athletes/manuel-raga-1/ Full name: Manuel "Manolo" Raga Navarro Nickname(s): The Flying Mexican.
  2. http://kosmagazin.com/manuel-raga-the-flying-mexican/ Manuel Raga: The Flying Mexican.
  3. https://www.sportskeeda.com/slideshow/top-10-international-players-never-played-nba The top 10 international players who never played in the NBA.
  4. https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/manuel%20raga/pid//_//players.html Manuel RAGA (MEX).
  5. http://www.fiba.basketball/en/hall-of-fame/Manuel-Raga Manuel Raga (Mexico) INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS.