Sports Icons You Probably Didn’t Know Were Afro-Latino

Often athletes are people’s first role-models. Something about seeing someone display amazing physical feats just makes your jaw drop. Sports are a great equalizer and a home that brings all types of different people together. This article will highlight Afro-Latino athletes. Many of which you may not have even known were Afro-Latino.

Carmelo Anthony

An NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, comes from African-American and Puerto Rican descent. Melo is a critically acclaimed and accomplished athlete. How accomplished is he? Although he never won a NBA Championship he does lead NBA history with the most Olympic gold medals held with three under his belt. With a career high of 28.7 points in the 2012-2013 season it is impossible to deny that he was a beast. He is currently ninth on the NBA all-time scoring list behind Shaquille O’Neal.  Unfortunately, his father, who was Puerto Rican, passed away when Melo was only 2 years old. He still embraces his Puerto Rican side, which is evident by his Puerto Rican flag tattoo on his hand and his embrace of his heritage. 

Nene

The 6 ’11 250lb center/power forward from Brazil, Nene Hilario. Nene was the 7th overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft.

Nene grew up in Sao Carlos, Brazil where his passion for basketball started and grew. He played for Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, which is a legit Brazilian basketball league. He played so well that he went international to play for the NBA and he became the first Brazilian to be drafted in the first round. Nene was awarded for the NBA All-Rookie Team in the 2002-2003 season.

the sports star was a member of the New York Knicks,  and Denver Nuggets where his peak average was 14.6 points per game during the 2008-2009 season. He hopped around playing for the Wizards until he established himself playing for the Houston Rockets, where he eventually retired during the 2020 season. 

Victor Cruz

Moving onto football we have to mention the 2012 Super Bowl winner Victor Cruz. His mother is Puerto Rican and his father is African-American. Taking after his mother’s last name, he was influenced by Puerto Rican culture. This is evident by his iconic salsa dance celebration that he would do after making a touchdown.

He grew up in Patterson New Jersey, eventually he played at UMass for college until getting drafted to the New York Giants where he played amazingly as a wide receiver. He became a Super Bowl winner during the 2012 season.

Cruz was such a great player that he tied with having the longest passing touchdown at 99 yards. Cruz even earned a Nike deal for his own line of sneakers. Overall, he is a great role-model for Afro-latino athletes

Overall, the representation of Afro-Latino athletes is crucial. As I mentioned in the beginning, athletes are some of the first people we admire. That is why Afro-Latino representation is important because the mass media will present these athletes all over the world. With them being present it will inspire Afro-Latinos to think “I can do it too.”