Jasiel Rivero Fernández

Cuban basketball player who plays as a center and can also play as a power forward. He currently plays for San Pablo Burgos in the Liga Endesa.

He was born in the municipality of Boyeros in Havana. He played for Capitalinos de La Habana in the 2014-2015 season, playing 25 games averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is 2.04 meters tall and wears number 14 on his jersey.

At age 12, he began playing basketball in the municipality of Boyeros while studying at "Augusto Olivares" Primary School.

He later continued his studies at EIDE Mártires de Barbados, where he stood out for his interest and dedication to basketball and distinguished himself through his participation and awards in all the games and events held during this stage. He continued his studies and earned a diploma as a technician in Physical Education and Sports.

In 2013-2014, at a quadrangular tournament held in Panama, he was the leading scorer, made the all-star team, and was the best three-point shooter.

In Cuba's 2014-2015 league, he won the championship with Capitalinos, which helped him join the national team and make the jump to higher-level leagues.

He participated in 2014 in the Centrobasket in Tepic, Mexico, which was the stage where everyone's eyes were on that young man who jumped like few others, had unstoppable power, and good technical skills.

In 2015, the Cuban Federation reached an agreement to allow its players to compete as professionals outside the country. That year Rivero left for Uruguay to play for Tabaré. There he was the league's leading scorer and rebounder until he fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Still injured after therapies and treatments, in February 2016 he traveled to Argentina for his next destination, Estudiantes de Concordia.

There he aggravated the injury, so he returned to Cuba to have surgery at the Frank País Orthopedic Hospital in Havana on April 15, 2016; only to get injured again, this time in the wrist, which kept him away from the courts for a year.

But Rivero came back and after his recovery, he joined the Cuban national team to continue his training and then signed a contract with Club Atlético Boca Juniors of Argentina.

Argentina would be the next stop for the Havana native. There he played two seasons with Estudiantes de Concordia and one with Boca Juniors. With the xeneize club, he "dominated" the league, playing 47 games, averaging 30.8 minutes per game, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 18.1 points.

Reflecting on his time in the Rioplatense country, he recalls: "I arrived in Argentina with the same mentality, always trying to achieve great goals and with the desire and willingness to work on the deficiencies in my game. I wanted to become someone, give my best version and make myself one of the leaders in the most positive aspects of the league, whether scoring, rebounds, or assists. Things went well for me, I always went on the court focused, trying to play good basketball, and always working hard because the more you work, the more you improve."

That last season on South American soil "bought him a ticket" to Spain and San Pablo Burgos of the Liga Endesa would be his home for the new season.

The Caribbean native became only the third Cuban to play in the Spanish League, and the second under the protection of the Cuban Basketball Federation, following the debut of Santiago native Javier Justiz.

"I'm given the opportunity to come to Spain and play in one of the best leagues in the world, I'm super happy and excited, I was 'dying' to get some playing time and show myself in this basketball, the opportunity was given to me and whenever I've been given one, I've made the most of it. This competition is very tough and different from what I experienced in Argentina, the opponents are more intense and higher quality."

The 2.06-meter power forward is the second most valued player for the Miraflores club in the Champions League with an average of 12.6 points, plus he leads his team in rebounds with 5.9 per game and is third in assists with 10.4.

Rivero assures that being able to play abroad has been a blessing and has allowed him to grow as a player: "I've learned a lot from these experiences abroad. Here there's stronger scouting on players, the opponent knows you and tries to neutralize you by working on your weak points. I've also learned to play a more contact-based basketball, you always have to have an ace up your sleeve to try to surprise the opponent. Talent is very important here to break the mold and achieve your objectives."

The Havana native is near the top in the sport of hoops, with only the National Basketball Association (NBA) remaining as an unfinished matter for the Cuban. When asked about future objectives, he expresses: "My goals are always the biggest ones, to give my best in every game and with every team I join. Right now the main objective is to secure a spot in the starting lineup and be a leader in some aspect of the league. It's very difficult, but I'm working hard to achieve it and improve every day. I always think big, because that pushes me to perfect my game."

The Cuban national team is an obsession for him. He would like to participate in an Olympic Games and believes that Cuban players' contracts in foreign leagues will bring that objective closer: "Now with the possibility of Cubans going to play in foreign leagues and becoming professionals, the level of our national team should increase a lot, as we've seen in recent tournaments we've participated in like the Central American championship. This context gives us the possibility of bringing knowledge and the forms of professional basketball to our Island and continue improving. It's a very favorable situation."

Jasiel Rivero is beginning to gain more prominence at San Pablo Burgos as the season progresses. From being destined to play only in the Basketball Champions League to competing in many Liga Endesa games. The Castilian team's coach, Joan Peñarroya, has seen his progress and already trusts in him.