Manuel Raga

Manolo Raga

Manolo Raga in 1971.
Personal information
Born	(1944-03-14) March 14, 1944 (age 80) Aldama, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
NBA draft	1970: 10th round, 167th overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career	1963–1979
Position	Shooting guard
Number	15
Career history
1963–1968	Villa Aldama
1968–1974	Ignis Varese
1974–1979	Federale Lugano
Career highlights and awards
2× FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (1970, 1973) 3× EuroLeague champion (1970, 1972, 1973) 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) 3× Italian League champion (1969–1971) 3× Italian Cup winner (1969–1971) 3× Swiss League champion (1975–1977) Swiss Cup winner (1975) Best Mexican Player of the 20th Century
Stats at Basketball Reference
FIBA Hall of Fame
Medals Representing  Mexico Pan American Games 1967 Winnipeg CentroBasket 1965 Mexico

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.

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.

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

• Italian League Champion (3): 1969, 1970, 1971
• Italian Cup Winner (3): 1969, 1970, 1971
• FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) Champion (3): 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73
• FIBA Intercontinental Cup Champion (2): 1970, 1973
• Swiss League Champion (3): 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
• Swiss Cup Winner: 1974–75
• Best Mexican Player of the 20th Century^[6]
• 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors: 2008
• FIBA Hall of Fame: 2016

• Euroleague.net 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors
• FIBA Hall of Fame Profile
• FIBA Profile
• Manuel Raga international stats at Basketball-Reference.com
• The Flying Mexican
• Manuel Raga at InterBasket