 He is the first Latino to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.Meléndez was born in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, but was raised in the town of Juana Díaz, where he also received his primary and secondary education.When he was 14 years old, he would go home after school and with his basketball under his arm make take a 2-mile jog through the sugar cane fields every day to the nearest basketball court and practice the sport with the local kids.