Carlos Jiménez

Carlos Jiménez

Hommage act to Carlos Jiménez on February 2013 before the game between Estudiantes and Unicaja, the two clubs for which he played.
Unicaja
Position	Assistant coach
League	Liga ACB EuroLeague
Personal information
Born	(1976-02-10) 10 February 1976 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Listed height	6 ft 8.75 in (2.05 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
NBA draft	1998: undrafted
Playing career	1994–2012
Position	Small forward
Coaching career	2012–present
Career history
As player:
1994–2006	Estudiantes
2006–2011	Unicaja
2011–2012	Estudiantes
2012	Unicaja
As coach:
2012–present	Unicaja (assistant)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing Spain Summer Olympics 2008 Beijing National team FIBA World Cup 2006 Japan Spain EuroBasket 1999 France Spain 2001 Turkey Spain 2003 Sweden Spain 2007 Spain Spain

Carlos Jiménez Sánchez (born 10 February 1976) is a Spanish former professional basketball player and current assistant coach of Unicaja. He is 2.05 m (6 ft 8 ¾ in) tall. His nickname is "suma y sigue Jiménez", which translated into English is, "add and go on Jiménez."

Player profile

He played as a small forward. He was a good rebounder, using his 205 cm height and his long arms. He was a good defender, and a good free throw shooter.

Professional career

In the 2002-03 NBA Season, Jiminez was on the preseason roster of the Sacramento Kings, as he tried out for the club, but he was cut from the team a week before the start of the regular season. He was disappointed that the Kings released him. Jiménez never had another NBA experience. In August 2011 he returned to Asefa Estudiantes, after playing five seasons for Unicaja Málaga, signing a one-year contract.

In 2011, he came back to Estudiantes, and in April 2012, with six games left to finish the Liga ACB, he decided to retire at the end of the season.

However, on 17 September 2012, he returned to professional basketball, by signing a one-month long contract, with an option to extend it for one more month, with his former team Unicaja. He retired in December 2012.

Spanish national team

Jiménez played with the senior Spanish national basketball team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where he won a gold medal. He also won the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as Spain lost against Team USA in the gold medal game. After that Olympic competition, Jiménez announced his retirement from the Spanish national team, after having been the captain of that group of players. He retired as the Spanish player with the most medals won in international tournaments for the Spanish national team at that time.

2008 Summer Olympics Spanish basketball team 'slanty-eye' photo incident

As captain of the 2008 Summer Olympics Spanish basketball team, Jiménez was a part of the 'slanty-eye' gesture photo incident, that took place before the Beijing Olympics. The photo was a feature ad, as a newspaper spread in Spain, showing all the Spanish players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese (Epicanthic fold), on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, and was used only in Spain.

"It was something like supposed to be funny, or something, but never offensive in any way," said teammate Pau Gasol. "I'm sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way, and thought that it was offensive."

Teammate José Calderón said the team was responding to a request from the photographer. "We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture," said Calderón. "Without a doubt, some ... press didn't see it that way."

Awards

Club career

• 1999–00 Spanish King's Cup with Adecco Estudiantes

Spanish national team

• EuroBasket 1999:  Silver
• EuroBasket 2001:  Bronze
• EuroBasket 2003:  Silver
• 2006 FIBA World Championship:  Gold
• EuroBasket 2007:  Silver

External links

• Carlos Jiménez at acb.com
• Carlos Jiménez at euroleague.net