With business failures & bankruptcies history, fans wonder what is retired basketball player Jose Ortiz net worth at the moment.
The concern about his finances grew even more after the former NBA player opened up that he was diagnosed with cancer in November 2023.
In these challenging times, the one-time divorcee has his longtime partner Sylvia Rios.
Nicknamed “Piculín,” Jose Ortiz is a Puerto Rican-born basketball player who played in the NBA and various European teams throughout his career (1980-2006).
An alumnus of Oregon State, Ortiz, then listed at 6 feet 11 inches, was the 15th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 1987 NBA draft.
He is from the same draft years as Reggie Williams, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Johnson, Reggie Miller, and Horace Grant, to name a few.
A 2019 FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Jose retired from basketball in 2006 and tried entrepreneurship. However, it failed, leaving him with financial troubles.
Jose Ortiz Net Worth: Earnings & Income Source
As of 2025, Ortiz’s net worth is estimated to be around $500,000, with his primary source of income being his basketball career.
With 26 years of professional basketball career globally, the Puerto Rico-born earned a name, fame & money. However, despite his success, he reportedly faced monetary troubles after retirement in 2006.
Even if the exact figure of his earnings is under wraps, sources claim that Jose earned in the 7-digit figures.
It’s justifiable, given his basketball stints with Spanish, Greek, Venezuelan, and Puerto Rican clubs.
As reported, in 1997, a Greek basketball club, PAOK Thessaloniki, offered him a two-year contract that could earn him $1 million in net income per season.
However, it went void after Jose’s lab tests for steroids came positive. But that contract offer did show his potential & demand as a player.
According to Basketball Reference, during his two seasons in the NBA (solely with the Utah Jazz), he made $275,000 in one season.
Glimpse On Ortiz’s Financial Troubles
Despite his success, he reportedly faced monetary troubles after retirement in 2006. It was due to poor financial management that imbalanced his cash flow.
He had once opened a restaurant, Patria, in his hometown of Cayey, but it went bankrupt in 2003.
Moreover, in 2000, Jose ran for campaign for Mayor of San Juan, and later, in 2008, he ran for senatorial candidate from the district of San Juan-Guaynabo.
However, both of them ended with failures. Probably, it took a toll on his finances.
In June 2011, when Ortiz was arrested for drug-related charges, a public defender represented him since he claimed he had no money for a lawyer. He pled guilty on November 4, 2011.
A week later, during a drug test, he tested positive for cocaine.
As a result, he was sentenced to six months in prison, along with nine months in a drug rehabilitation facility and four years of supervised release.
Jose Ortiz Cancer Diagnosis: Suffers From Colon Cancer
On November 22, 2022, Jose Ortiz took to Instagram and announced that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer.
In the Instagram video, the Puerto Rico-born former player sat alongside his longtime partner, Sylvia Rios, and explained the situation in his mother tongue. It translates:
“As a person who has learned to face my problems, I have to inform you that on November 2nd I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Everyone in my family is willing to fight with positive thinking, even when it’s not easy.”
Moreover, Ortiz said that he found out about his cancer after a colonoscopy. Also, he advised others to be concerned about their health and said, “Don’t be afraid of a colonoscopy. Treatment is prevention.”
