Latinx Heritage Month Spotlight: Ian Martinez

The game of basketball is growing around the world every day. 

Ever since the Dream Team graced the court in Barcelona, Spain in 1992, basketball exploded in popularity overseas as many other countries began investing in the game. 

Over the past 29 years since then, college basketball and the NBA has seen an uptick of foreign stars like Pau and Marc Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Tony Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. 

Despite all of these players and many more representing foreign lands here stateside, there are many countries that have still yet to be represented on both the collegiate and professional stage. 

For Maryland basketball star Ian Martinez, he resides inside the XFINITY Center in a situation that no one like him has ever been before, representing a country that hasn’t permeated the ranks. 

Martinez is the only Costa Rican basketball player to ever play college basketball in a major conference after playing at the University of Utah and now playing at Maryland. 

“It’s a blessing to be the first one ever to do it,” Martinez said. “I’m not the first good player from Costa Rica; I’m just the lucky one who got the chance to play at a big school.”

The Martinez name is synonymous with greatness in the Costa Rican basketball community as Ian’s father, Henry, uncle, Kay, and brother, Avery, all played some form of collegiate basketball, but Ian is the one to play at the highest level of NCAA competition. 

Henry Martinez was an assistant coach at the University of Utah, where Ian played his freshman season for the Utes and averaged 15.8 minutes per game with 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while primarily being utilized as a defensive stopper.

It may be a burden for some to carry an entire country on your back, but for Martinez it’s an opportunity to grow the game and show people his country is serious when it comes to playing ball.

“Basketball is a global game now,” Martinez said. “We’ve seen a lot of players from a lot of different countries play in college or go straight to the NBA, and they’re proving that it’s possible. I think as long as I keep getting better, then I could go really far too.”

One of those players who broke the mold when it came to being the first person from their country to play in the NBA is former Terp turned Boston Celtic, Bruno Fernando. 

The Angola native recently returned to College Park to visit his old stomping grounds and had a one-on-one conversation with Martinez about their kinship of being trailblazers.

“I had never met Bruno before, but we had a really good talk about basketball and about life,” Martinez said. “He did something no one had never been done before, and that’s what I want to do. To know he did it here at Maryland makes me much happier to be here.” 

The University of Maryland is a place that spotlights its entire student-athlete population through the Maryland Made program. It’s an initiative that empowers student-athletes to become leaders and develop professional competencies and be conscientious advocates.

Martinez finds himself in a special group of Maryland Made athletes as he’s a member of the World Wide Terps, a student-athlete organization whose mission is to support the overall international student-athlete experience.

Not only is the sophomore the only Costa Rican-born athlete at the school, but he’s the only Hispanic athlete at Maryland who was actually born in a Latin American country. 

“It’s cool that Maryland recognizes Hispanic culture like that,” Martinez said. “I’m very proud of who I am and where I come from so I’m glad the school is proud too.”

The pride Martinez has for his country is evident every time he goes back home as his family’s basketball roots extend deep into the community. 

The Martinez family runs a basketball camp in their home of Heredia as people of all ages come and learn from the best Costa Rican basketball players ever. 

Giving back to the community means everything to the Terps star. While basketball isn’t as big in Latin America as other sports, it means a lot to be a part of that change and bringing the game to the masses. 

“It’s weird to think of yourself as the first to do something big like that but that’s what I’m doing,” Martinez said. “Basketball means a lot to me and it means a lot to my family and I really think it’ll be big in Costa Rica. I really do. We just have to make the effort to get people involved.”

That effort will go a long way as Martinez now steps into a rotational role for a Maryland team that has high expectations for itself. 

Despite losing players to the NBA Draft and the transfer portal, the Terps gained significant talent of their own with the likes of not only Martinez but transfers Qudus Wahab (Georgetown), and Fatts Russell (Rhode Island), as well as freshman Julian Reese (Baltimore, MD). 

Martinez sees himself as a high-energy player, one who can be deployed in a multitude of ways and can cause havoc for opposing teams.

“I will do anything I can to help this team,” Martinez said. “I can shoot, I can make plays and I will give it everything I’ve got on defense. I’m going to do whatever Coach Turgeon asks of me and just help this team win basketball games.”

Despite an entire country behind him, Martinez doesn’t necessarily like seeing himself as a groundbreaker or an innovator, but he does recognize the value in it. 

Growing up, he didn’t see many basketball players that looked like him. The only ones he did are his family who, thankfully for Ian, formed the person and the player that he is today. 

Now stepping onto the grand stage of Big Ten basketball, Martinez is ready to show the world that Costa Rica has arrived on the global basketball landscape. 

“We have the talent to be great,” Martinez said of his country. “Maybe seeing me on TV will help show them that it’s possible. It’s one thing to talk about it, but it’s another to go do it. I’m gonna go do it.”