Juan Antonio San Epifanio Ruiz (Epi) (born 12 June 1959 in Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain) is a retired Spanish basketball player, considered one of the greatest small forwards ever to play in Europe. Named the European Player of the Year Mister Europa in 1984, he spent all his career in FC Barcelona.
The Aragonese holds the record among Spanish players with most national team caps (239 during a period longer than fifteen years). He is also the only Spanish player who took part in 4 Olympic Games (Moscow-80 to Barcelona-92). Silver Olympic medallist for Spain in LA-84, silver medal in European Champs in Nantes-83. In 1991, he got European bronze National Team. With F.C. Barcelona, he was a 3 times finalist in the European Champions Cup, twice Saporta Cup winner, once Korać Cup holder, 7 times national league champion and 10 cup winner. His 54 points scored in a game against Joventut Badalona in the early 80's counts among his most memorable performances and is the 2nd best scoring record ever in the Spanish League. Ranko Žeravica was the one who gave him the opportunity to play for Barcelona's first team in 1979. In 1973 he made his debut with CN Helios in the Spanish third division. He was named by L’Equipe as the Best European Player of the 80's.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona he was honoured to be the last to carry the olympic torch before handing it to the archer Antonio Rebollo who lit the fire in the cauldron with an arrow.
San Epifanio, known by everyone as Epi, grew up in Zaragoza and began to play in his native city, but the local club C.N. Helios Zaragoza rejected him. In 1974 FC Barcelona signed his older brother Herminio to a contract. Herminio insisted that Juan would join him at the club, and so the two moved to Barcelona.
At Barcelona, Juan quickly improved his skills and became a member of the Spanish junior national team.
In 1977 he joined the first team and quickly became the leading man in barcelona's successful team of the 80's, which finally broke the long lived dominance of Real Madrid after a prolonged period, together with players such as Ignacio Solozábal, Juan de la Cruz, Audie Norris and others.
In a total of 18 seasons at the club he won the Spanish league title 7 times (1981, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1994), the King's Cup 10 times (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1991, and 1994), the Saporta Cup twice (1985–1986), the Korać Cup once (1987) and the world championship for clubs once (1985). Although he reached the European Champions Cup Final 3 time (1984, 1990, 1991), he never lifted the most important trophy in European basketball.
In the same year he debuted with FC Barcelona, he also made his first appearance for the national team. He appeared in a total of 239 games, giving him the all-time lead in national appearances for Spain.
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