9-year NBA veteran and worldwide basketball legend Carlos Arroyo has lengthy possessed an unbelievable means to perform two issues directly: characterize his fatherland of Puerto Rico to absolutely the fullest whereas additionally all the time sustaining the starvation to compete on the highest ranges in basketball. And in case you haven’t heard, as the brand new co-owner of Bayamón in Puerto Rico’s high-level professional league the BSN (Balencesto Superior Nacional), he’s doing it once more.
In highschool, Arroyo pushed his household, which had connections by way of half possession of the BSN workforce that used to exist of their hometown of Fajardo, to let him go play in America. Arroyo performed one season at Brookwood HS in Thomasville, GA, the place he averaged practically 30 ppg and earned what had eluded him throughout his time in PR—US school scholarship provides.
After the one yr in Georgia, Arroyo started his semi-professional basketball profession on the age of 17, taking part in with the aforementioned Fajardo workforce. After graduating from highschool again in PR, he spent 4 years taking part in virtually year-round—throughout the college yr he was a star level guard at DI Florida Worldwide in Miami, and throughout the summer season he was taking part in in opposition to grown males within the BSN. In 1998, Arroyo joined the Cangrejeros de Santurce, a workforce that dominated the storied BSN (acknowledge: the league has been round since 1929 and produced different NBA gamers comparable to Butch Lee, José Ortiz and JJ Barea) throughout his tenure. With Arroyo as their electrifying lead guard, the Cangrejeros received 4 straight BSN titles from 1998-2001 and added one other championship in 2003. That is when SLAM and I first crossed paths with CA. I occurred to attend Sport 7 of the 2000 BSN Finals. I’d by no means heard of Arroyo after I walked into the Roberto Clemente Coliseum that evening; by halftime, I knew I’d always remember him. SLAM took my phrase on how good he was and let me write an “In Your Face” story on the then-FIU senior. He and I stayed in contact, reconnecting for a full characteristic in SLAM 84 when he was the beginning PG on the Jazz and proper by way of his decade-long profession within the League and past.
CA’s finest season within the L got here in ’03–04 with the Jazz, when he began all 71 video games he appeared in and averaged a career-high 12.6 factors and 5.0 assists per recreation. He adopted up that common season with an Olympic efficiency for the ages. Within the opening recreation for each the US and Puerto Rico within the 2004 Athens Video games, the worldwide superpower and its small island commonwealth confronted off and PR did the not possible, blowing out huge brother, 92-73. Arroyo led the way in which with 24 factors, 7 assists, 4 steals and one epic jersey pop. Whereas he by no means once more matched these ’04 heights within the NBA, he performed key roles on numerous NBA groups, together with the ’05 championship runner-up Pistons and the primary LeBron/Bosh/Wade Warmth workforce in ’10-11. He additionally performed for big-time Euro groups comparable to Maccabi Tel Aviv and Galatasaray and returned to Santurce in 2015.
Whereas dabbling in music (his 2020 monitor “Baila Reggaeton” with Zion & Lennox is one among a number of licensed hits he’s sung on) and performing (Sgt. Main Perez in The Biggest Beer Run Ever) Arroyo saved his eyes on the basketball management prize by turning into normal supervisor of the Puerto Rico Males’s Nationwide Group in 2021. “I feel I’ve confirmed myself the previous few years with the nationwide workforce, making so many roster strikes and succeeding,” says Arroyo in the present day. “What we did final yr with the Olympics, to have the ability to return for the primary time in 20 years, with me because the GM, and the final first time I used to be a participant.”
The peripatetic Arroyo, who has completed a lot on the age of 45, is now onto his newest problem, which is why he’s again in SLAM’s pages. Final November, Arroyo and his accomplice, majority proprietor Eric Duars, took over essentially the most storied franchise within the BSN: the 16-time champion Vaqueros de Bayamón (Bayamón Cowboys). “We’d been in conversations about shopping for the workforce for a couple of yr,” remembers Arroyo over Zoom after a current Vaqueros apply. “The earlier proprietor was Yadier Molina—the catcher from the Cardinals! He approached me about discovering the best individual to take over the workforce and he needed somebody who was loyal to the game and the franchise and was enterprise savvy on the identical time. So he needed me to assist him discover that proper individual. I had an amazing relationship with Eric Duars, a great good friend of mine for a few years, entrepreneur, enterprise savvy, loves the sport. However he’s primarily within the music enterprise, he represents a bunch of artists within the trade. We felt like he was the best man. And the very first thing Eric informed me was, I’m not doing this with out you. On the time I used to be touring quite a bit with the nationwide workforce, recruiting new guys, had so many qualifiers, the Olympics developing, and I used to be extraordinarily busy. I met with the President of the Federation and informed him, Look, I may need this chance, and he was like, Go forward and do it. As quickly as I obtained his blessing, I managed to seek out the time. And it’s been nice, man. It’s additionally been a lot of labor. Altering every part. However we’re right here now and the season has began and it’s like [exhales] now we are able to breathe.”
Arroyo shortly prolonged the contract of long-time Vaquero mainstay Javier Mojica and employed his former teammate on the nationwide workforce Christian Dalmau to be head coach. However Arroyo was simply getting began. Realizing that league guidelines allowed him to herald three “refuerzos,” (reinforcements, ie, gamers with no claims to Puerto Rican residency) he tapped his breadth of connections and aimed excessive. Behold the Vaqueros’ huge three: Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee and Chris Duarte.
Gallinari is, after all, the graceful capturing, 14-year NBA vet out of Italy who was a Knick lottery decide in ’08, a high-teen ppg scorer for a lot of the 2010s and who was taking part in playoff minutes for the Bucks as lately because the 2024 playoffs. Sure, the Italian Nationwide Group stalwart is now balling in Bayamón. “After we performed right here within the Olympic qualifying event final summer season, Carlos and I stayed in contact,” Gallo explains. “We have been speaking about life generally. He came upon I used to be transferring to Miami and I ended up dwelling proper close to him, virtually like neighbors. We frolicked a pair occasions there, after which I used to be ready for an NBA name…which didn’t come. He went by way of the same part in his profession. So we have been simply exchanging ideas about my state of affairs. He introduced up this chance to me to be a part of the Vaqueros…that’s when slowly issues began to get actual. And now we’re right here.”
By way of seven video games of the 44-game common season, “right here” is 17.7 ppg for the 6-1, first-place Vaqueros, who’ve their eyes on a title and their rabid fan base buzzing.
“The followers listed here are very passionate, very intense,” says the 37-year-old McGee, who has performed 909 regular-season video games in his NBA profession (together with 46 simply final season with the Kings) and received three championships. “I used to be simply staying in form, ready for that NBA name. Carlos hit me up and introduced me with this chance to come back to Bayamón and play in entrance of this nice crowd and nice folks. I simply determined to take the deal and are available out and have a blast. It feels good to be on the market, again on the courtroom, taking part in some aggressive basketball, taking part in free.”
McGee is getting “free” to the tune of 18.3 factors (on 56 p.c capturing) and 9.6 rebounds per recreation, showcasing an offensively efficient facet of his recreation the role-centric NBA didn’t encourage the rim-running and defending McGee to execute.
The final of the three huge imports Arroyo signed, Duarte, is probably essentially the most distinctive. Gallinari and McGee could also be notably effectively completed, however they match the mildew of many ex-NBAers who’ve laced up their kicks within the BSN in that they’re on the tail finish of their careers. In some ways, Duarte’s ought to simply be beginning. A local of the Dominican Republic who transferred to the College of Oregon midway by way of his school profession and was a 2021 lottery decide by the Pacers, the 6-5 guard was second-team All-Rookie in 2022 and was getting minutes with the Bulls this season. League rosters are a complicated puzzle solely a workforce’s GM will ever absolutely perceive, and when the Bulls let him go in February, Duarte didn’t love the provides he was getting. And he beloved the brand new man answerable for a workforce he is aware of effectively because of having a spouse from Bayamón. “Each Latino ought to know who Carlos Arroyo is. He was a nice participant. So for positive I knew who he was,” explains Duarte, who scored 32 factors in a current dub. “After I obtained to the League, we exchanged phrases, typically we met up a bit of bit and talked. That’s how our relationship began. Then after I obtained waived, he hit me up and supplied me a job right here. In the intervening time I used to be occupied with one thing else, however our relationship was intact and I informed him, If something adjustments, I’ll get again to you. And that’s precisely what occurred. I’m a four-year vet, I’ve accomplished quite a bit within the NBA, I really feel like I deserve a bit of bit greater than [the two-way offers] I used to be getting. So I’m glad I’m right here to remain lively, work on my recreation, play, see what occurs in the summertime.”
Gushes Arroyo, “I’m extraordinarily honored to be right here and be the one making the choices so far as the roster, constructing every part from scratch. New teaching workers, new trainers, new every part. We’ve accomplished an amazing job that we are able to really feel happy with. Now it’s time for the fellows to do it on the courtroom. As you understand, names don’t win championships. However they’re constructing one thing. The factor I really like about JaVale, Gallinari and Duarte…they don’t come over right here performing like they don’t have to show themselves. No I’m an NBA champion or I’m an enormous worldwide star. They’re participating with their teammates, practising onerous, being nice leaders. That offers me a way of peace.”
Arroyo’s journey from star participant to influential supervisor is a testomony to his ardour for basketball and dedication to Puerto Rico. Whether or not main on the courtroom or behind the scenes, Arroyo stays an inspiring determine who embodies excellence and resilience. As he works tirelessly to revive the Vaqueros championship legacy and additional elevate Puerto Rico’s nationwide program, his influence on the sport will endure on la isla for generations.
However Carlos being Carlos, he’d take one other shot on the NBA, too. “I might love too, man,” he says. “I do know the NBA, their eyes are usually not on FIBA, particularly nationwide groups, as a result of it’s simply totally different. You don’t cope with budgets, wage caps and all that stuff. However this, it is a actual check for me, being an proprietor, simply structuring every part, what a president ought to do, what a GM ought to do. I’m doing all that stuff as effectively. I’m nonetheless studying, however I feel I’m very savvy in terms of placing items collectively and ensuring they are going to work. I’m praying every part works out and we are able to give you a championship our first yr right here. Yeah, after all. I might like to [work a big position in an NBA front office].”
Given all Arroyo’s accomplished in life to this point, who would doubt him?
