Career
Juan "Johnny" Báez a.k.a. He played from 1953 to 1969 in Puerto Rico"s Superior Basketball League and from 1957 to 1961 with the Real Madrid basketball Spanish basketball team in Europe. In 1957, Báez was named the league"s Most Valuable Player (Most Valuable Player) and points leader.
Báez was the sixth child of nine children born to Andrés Báez and Sisa Mariño in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He received his primary education at the University of Puerto Rico Model Elementary School. lieutenant was in Modelo School where he would learn to play basketball under the guidance of his physical education teacher Lilliam Colberg.
During his high school years, he would frequently attend the local Superior Leagues basketball games and participated as a basketball player in minor leagues where he continued to learn the discipline of the game. In 1953, the "Cardenales de Río Piedras" (Río Piedras Cardinals) basketball team of Puerto Rico"s Superior Basketball League selected him.
Even though his active participation was minimal, Báez was promoted to the team"s starting lineup in his third game.
In 1957, Báez was named the league"s Most Valuable Player (Most Valuable Player) and points leader. He scored a total of 394 points in 16 games. His participation in the islands local basketball league was very limited in 1958 and 1959 because he continued to pursue his academic education in Madrid, Spain.
While playing in Spain, he caught the eye of a young royal whose grandfather was the owner of the Real Madrid team and who became one of his best-known fans.
That young royal is now known as King Juan Carlos, who corresponded with Báez in 2006 to wish him a speedy recovery from his illness. Báez represented Puerto Rico in the 1959 Pan American Games, celebrated in Chicago, Illinois.
Báez and fellow Puerto Rican Juan "Pachín" Vicéns were named to the All-Star team In 1962, he withdrew from Spanish basketball and one year later, in 1963, Báez led the Cardinals to another championship and was once again named Most Valuable Player. On June 13, 1969, the same year that he retired, he scored his point number 5 thousand during a game against the Piratas de Quebradillas (The Pirates of Quebradillas) with a “jump shot" in the beginning of the games first quarter.
After retiring Báez dedicated most of his time as coach of several local teams.
On March 8, 2006, had an accident and is suffering from a delicate neurological condition which left him paralyzed from the waist down.
