Quick Facts
Biography
Carlos Jiménez Sánchez (born 10 February 1976) is a Spanish former professional basketball player and current sporting director of Unicaja. He is 2.05 m (6' 8 ⁄4") tall. His nickname is "suma y sigue Jiménez", which translated into English is, "add and go on Jiménez."
Player profile
He played as a small forward. He was a good rebounder, using his 205 cm height and his long arms. He was a good defender, and a good free throw shooter.
Professional career
In the 2002-03 NBA Season, Jiménez was on the preseason roster of the Sacramento Kings, as he tried out for the club, but he was cut from the team a week before the start of the regular season. He was disappointed that the Kings released him.Jiménez never had another NBA experience. In August 2011 he returned to Asefa Estudiantes, after playing five seasons for Unicaja Málaga, signing a one-year contract.
In 2011, he came back to Estudiantes, and in April 2012, with six games left to finish the Liga ACB, he decided to retire at the end of the season.
However, on 17 September 2012, he returned to professional basketball, by signing a one-month long contract, with an option to extend it for one more month, with his former team Unicaja. He retired in December 2012.
Spain national team
Jiménez played with the senior Spain national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where he won a gold medal. He also won the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as Spain lost against Team USA in the gold medal game. After that Olympic competition, Jiménez announced his retirement from the Spain national team, after having been the captain of that group of players. He retired at the time as the Spanish player with the most medals won in international tournaments for the Spain national team.
2008 Summer Olympics Spanish basketball team 'slanty-eye' photo incident
As captain of the 2008 Summer Olympics Spanish basketball team, Jiménez was a part of the 'slanty-eye' gesture photo incident, that took place before the Beijing Olympics. The photo was a feature ad, as a newspaper spread in Spain, showing all the Spanish players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese (Epicanthic fold), on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, and was used only in Spain.
"It was something like supposed to be funny, or something, but never offensive in any way," said teammate Pau Gasol. "I'm sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way, and thought that it was offensive."
Teammate José Calderón said the team was responding to a request from the photographer. "We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture," said Calderón. "Without a doubt, some ... press didn't see it that way."