Iván Altamesa
 Artist unknown | |
| No. - – Retired | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Species | Coqui ( Leptodactylidae ) |
| Gender | Male |
| Nickname(s) | |
| the Artist | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Mayagüez, PR |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Listed height | 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) |
| Listed weight | 90 lb (41 kg) |
| Shoots | Right |
| Career information | |
| School | UPPR (Universidad Peludo de Puerto Rico, Bayamon campus) |
| FBA draft | 2013 / Undrafted |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | Azariah Wolf |
| (OOC) Creator | Unknown |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
Born in Mayagüez, PR in 1989, Iván "el Artista" Altamesa was already established playing basketball in one of Puerto Rico's local leagues, seeing success as his team's starting small forward. While injury time has shortened two of his three seasons for the Mayagüez squad, his good numbers and court presence have made him a fan favorite. Iván is well known for his athletic dunks, using strong legs and long arms to dunk over and around taller defenders. While he presents an inside threat, Iván has a dangerous mid range jumper and spent his final season in Mayagüez working on his range from downtown.
Iván is his father's son. The older Altamesa made his mark in Puerto Rico's leagues years ago, winning several championships with various teams. Although he was scouted by a number of FBA teams, he elected to remain in Puerto Rico due to the league's "one and done" rule that prohibits a player from returning after leaving the league for any reason. While Puerto Rican fans were happy to have him, many who saw him play wonder how the league would have changed in his presence.
With his contract up at the end of his third year, Iván has elected to brave this same rule to enter the draft this year. He was convinced by his agent, who met Iván during a preseason dunk competition held in San Juan. The talented Puerto Rican missed time with an arm injury during the 2012 season, but guided his team to the championship game which they lost to Ponce. Altamesa placed his team on his back several times over the course of the playoffs, even scoring his team's last 13 points in the final game before missing a half court three at the horn. He cited his injury as a possible reason for the loss, claiming that the time away from the team affected their chemistry.
With this in mind, when his agent suggested that his talent was sufficient to play in the FBA, the argument that decided the topic concerned Iván's injuries. His agent suggested that the stricter officiating in the FBA would help prevent many potential injuries in the future. While the argument was sound, many propose that it was simply a convenient excuse for him to join his idols on the court.