Mallorcan, Spanish and world basketball cry the loss of an entire legend, a pioneer who showed the path that two other Balearic Islands (Rudy Fernández and Sergio Llull) followed. The death at 73 years of age of Rafael Rullán Ribera (Palma, 1952-Madrid, 2025) is the farewell of an institution In Real Madrid and the Spanish team, and also that of the first Olympic of the sport of the basket in the Balearic Islands and who won the first absolute international medal with the national Team.
With 12 years the young and spiky Rafa Rullán began in the basketball, whose roots are in Sóller, where he maintained good friendships and personal ties. A young man who measured 1’93 did it by medical prescription and began in the Luis Vives Palmesano school team. With 15 years, the height operation and the opportunity to make the leap to the capital arrivedgiven its extraordinary conditions such as pivot, reaching 2’07 high in its maturity.
Began in the training categories of Real Madrid and during 18 seasons he played on the first team (1969-1987), in which he debuted by Pedro Ferrándizto close his professional career in the 87-88 season at Bacobao Villalba. With the white shirt won 14 Leagues, 9 Cups, 3 European Cups (1974, 1978 and 1980) -Récord that she shares with Rudy Fernández and Sergio Llull-, 1 Recopa (1984) and 4 intercontinental (1976-77-87 y 81).
After his withdrawal, Rullán was a delegate of the first Real Madrid team (1991-99), being a 1994 Euroleague testiigo-Martín Ferrer was militated in that team-to later integrate into the organization chart of the Real Madrid Foundation, which he left to retire in 2016, being a very active figure in the group of former players.
With the Spanish team he played 161 games between 1971 and 1982achieving the silver in the Eurobasket of 1973, in addition to participating in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, thus being the first Balearic basketball player in the great appointment of the Universal Sports, in addition to witnessing the attacks that marked that appointment. In addition, he also formed five times with the European national team.
From his 207 centimeters, Rullán witnessed and active part of one of the most important times in the history of the Real Madrid basketball section, which together with the Balearic and Spanish basketball are in mourning by saying goodbye to one of the first Mallorcan athletes of universal range, whom He lacked recognition at the height of his legacy in his native Mallorcabut that leaves a mark and a record for legend.
