Felipe Lopez, the first NBA player from the Dominican Republic, is one of the most-prominent figures in both the Latino and sports’ communities. He has overcome numerous social and cultural obstacles to become a benchmark for athletes and an inspiration to the sporting world.
           

Lopez was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic and moved to Bronx, New York at the age of 13. He demonstrated his natural basketball abilities and his talent exploded while at Rice High School in Manhattan, New York. By his senior year he led Rice High School to the city championship, but his personal accomplishments were unparalleled: “Mr. Basketball” of New York (1994); MVP at McDonald’s All-American Game (1994); and USA Today Player of the Year (1994).

His accomplishments extended far beyond the boundaries of the basketball court. Lopez did not speak English when his family moved to New York and utilized the international language of basketball as a learning tool. He was able to quickly transcend the language barrier and further his personal and basketball education after being recruited to St. John’s University (Queens, NY).

Lopez received early national recognition and established a precedent for up-coming young athletes. His talent was so remarkable that even before he played a collegiate basketball game, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the top freshmen basketball player in the country. This established a phenomenon that was previously unheralded in the basketball community that initiated the dialogue of high school superstars possibly transitioning directly to the NBA.

Regardless of the media hype that surrounded him, Lopez continued to captivate the imagination of sporting enthusiasts while at St. John’s. He led St. John’s to the NCAA Tournament his senior year and accomplished numerous personal accolades throughout his collegiate career: Big East Conference Newcomer of the Year (1995); All-Big East Conference Rookie Team (1995); All-Big East Conference Third Team (1995); All-Big East Conference First-Team (1998); holds record for most three-pointers made in a single season (60) and in a career (148); and third best scorer in St. John’s history behind NBA-alumni Malik Sealy (R.I.P.) and NBA-veteran Chris Mullin.

After an illustrious collegiate basketball career, he was selected as the 24th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1998 NBA Draft. He was immediately traded from the Spurs to the Vancouver Grizzlies where he began his NBA career. In the summer after his second season, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. After half a season with the Wizards, he was signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves to bring some athleticism and high-energy to their roster. Lopez suffered a torn-ACL in the 2002-03 preseason, yet re-emerged with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2004-05 preseason. In 2004, Lopez played with the ABA Long Beach Jam and finished overseas with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. After playing with the NBA Orlando Magic for the 2005-06 preseason, Lopez is currently playing in Spain’s LEB league to continue to enjoy and explore the global strength of basketball.

During his time away from the basketball court, Lopez did Spanish broadcasting of NBA basketball for Telemundo and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Additionally, Lopez continues to be proactive in youth programming and feels it is imperative to utilize his influence to positively impact society. He manifests his ideals and vision via the Felipe Lopez Foundation, a non-profit organization that attempts to build a vibrant and healthy lifestyle for youth and minority communities.

The NBA maximizes Lopez’s crossover appeal to both the Latino and domestic demographics due to his highly publicized basketball career by making him a central participant in the NBA Read to Achieve programs, NBA Basketball Without Borders and other initiatives that captivate foreign audiences from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

Lopez resides in New York, New York, and has a son Felipe and a daughter Anuhea Alexa.