Rico fell in love with basketball at age 10 in his native México, where he learned more about the game watching the Chicago Bulls on TV. Rico asked that his last name not be used due to his immigration status. 

Basketball “kept me out of trouble and out of thinking bad things,” Rico, now 41, said. 

He used basketball as a distraction after his mother died when he was 12. When he moved to the U.S. at age 14 to live with his older brother, he used basketball to keep him away from partying, gangs and trouble with the law.

“Basketball saved my life,” he said.

Basketball is popular among Latine communities, but the representation in professional leagues and college basketball is slim.

In the 2022-2023 season, the NBA had 11 players of Latine descent, which is 2.2% of the league.

In the WNBA, there are only two players in the league as of 2023. In the 2024 WNBA draft, there were four Latina players selected, including Chicago Sky’s Kamilla Cardoso at the third overall pick. Cardoso is the only one to currently play in the 2025 season; the other three are not in the league due to roster cuts. 

At the collegiate level, the NCAA has 2.8% Latino representation — the largest amount recorded — but the smallest percentage compared to football (3.4%) and baseball (7.6%). There is 2.9% Latina representation in women’s basketball, the lowest compared to outdoor track and softball.

Jorge Iber, a Texas Tech professor and interim vice president of campus access and engagement, addressed why athletes in Latine culture find it difficult to commit to their sport. 

“My research indicates that, even now, the main issues are economic and familial in nature,” Iber said. 

He explained the need for children to handle chores or work a job that makes it difficult to pursue an athletic career.

Rico’s story includes many struggles that stood in the way of his basketball career.

In 2000, when Rico was 15, he entered Hubbard High School in southwest Chicago and immediately tried to find a way on the basketball team. He said he failed to find any help during his orientation, so he decided to ask a teacher who directed him to a nearby coach.

Rico was told to attend the upcoming tryouts for the team.

He went to the tryouts and was asked to join the junior varsity team; he was the only Hispanic on the team. However, he couldn’t understand or speak English well. 

“When they were giving directions (on) what to do, I just followed my instincts,” Rico said.

Rico was given a month and if the team noticed him struggling, they would have to cut him from the team. Rico was excited to finally play for a team but also had doubts given the immediate pressure he faced.

“When I had that shot to play with them, I was scared,” said Rico, who also had to learn how to take the bus and the train to get to and from school and practice.

After a month, Rico stayed on the team because, although he didn’t speak English, he understood the game well. Rico was inspired to learn more English because of basketball and to help him play with his team.

His sophomore year, his relationship with the team and comprehension of English improved. The team won a district-wide JV championship with Rico as a starter.

“It was my first time that I won something,” he said.

However, the moment was bittersweet for Rico because he had nobody to celebrate with. His mother was gone, and his father wasn’t in the picture.

“I’m not saying it was a struggle, but it kept me down,” Rico said.

His third year, he was promoted to varsity but saw little playing time. That lack of playing time, he said, caused him to lose joy in basketball, until his senior year.

He grew more familiar with his team and speaking English. He even began to argue with his teammates during the game about fixable mistakes.

The highlight that year was the opportunity to play in the United Center, home of his beloved Bulls. For him, it was a once in a lifetime experience.

He remembers being nervous but excited. He was able to invite his brother and his sister-in-law to watch him play. Although his team lost, he felt proud.

The number of professional Latine players has slowly increased — and so has the fan base.

The NBA has had many successful Latino players including Manuel Raga, Eduardo  Nájera and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Manuel Raga was the first Mexican to be drafted in the 1970 NBA draft. He never played in a game due to being drafted in the tenth round. The draft saw 239 picks and only 57 players played in the league. Eduardo Nájera was the next Mexican player to be selected in 2000 and played for 12 seasons. 

In 2023, Jaime Jáquez Jr. was selected by the Miami Heat with pick 18. This made him the first Mexican player to be drafted in the first round in 76 years and the third Mexican player ever to be drafted.

Despite a small percentage of players of Latine descent, interest in basketball among the Latine community is higher than any other major American sports league, according to Sports Business Journal. Hispanics make up 13% of the NBA’s total fan base, the third largest ethnic group to be interested in the NBA. Hispanics make up 12% of the fanbase for the MLB, NFL and NHL.

So why are there so few Latine players in the NBA, WNBA and collegiate basketball?

Iber believes talented players are there – but they don’t always get the attention they deserve.

“There are lots of Latinos who have played and are playing at the highest levels of pro and collegiate hoops,” Iber said. He mentioned Brook López, Al Horford and José Alvarado as examples.

The current landscape of top-level basketball talent is scouted through Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) leagues. The process allows for youth athletes to play in high level basketball until they are ready to enter the NCAA. The issue AAU causes is that it is difficult to be a top player without entering an AAU league.

Some players, like Oswaldo Rodríguez, a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College in suburban Palos Hills, feel they can’t get more opportunities without AAU – – but getting in has its own challenges.

Rodriguez played AAU basketball entering his junior and senior year of high school. He paid nearly $1,000 to play his first year and $750 for the following season.

“Too many people quit because it was pricey,” he said. 

He enjoyed his second year more but felt the experience was not worth the price and dysfunction on the team.

Once Rico’s own high school career was finished, he was offered a scholarship to play for Morton College in Cicero. He was excited to continue his basketball career, but there was a major problem — his immigration status was pending at that time.

Without a Social Security number, Rico couldn’t accept the scholarship and, therefore, would have to pay out of pocket. That was not an option for Rico, as his brother couldn’t help him financially beyond high school.

“I lost hope,” Rico said. “I didn’t want to play basketball no more.”

After a year, Rico moved back to México where he worked as a teacher. In México, he continued to play basketball after a year hiatus.. He played in local tournaments for prize money. He had a chance to play for a college in México but declined due to the lack of financial stability and housing it would provide him.

He traveled back to the U.S. in 2014 after losing his teaching job and started working at a printing company, his current employer.

Basketball remains a part of Rico’s life, but his dream of playing professionally is long gone.

“I was not disappointed with myself,” Rico said. “I was disappointed with the system.”

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