Rafa Martínez started playing basketball for
Basquet Manresa eventually rising from the club's junior team ranks. The team previously played in the Spanish second division
LEB but was promoted to the
ACB for the 1999–2000 season where on October 9, 1999, he made his professional debut in the top Spanish league against
FC Barcelona. The following season he spent in the Basketball team
CB Vic. After spending two years in the
Valls Felix Hotel in LEB-2, he returned to the Basquet Manresa in 2003. In 2008, Martínez joined
Valencia Basket. He won the
EuroCup in the 2009–10. Along with that, Martínez had the highest three-point percentage in the
Liga ACB that season. In the 2013–14 season, he won the Eurocup for the second time. On 14 March 2017 Martínez became the all-time
three-point field goals leader of the
EuroCup after passing
Marko Popović with 208 three-pointers. First all-time leader in scoring of
Valencia Basket since 26 February 2019 in the match against San Pablo Burgos team, surpassing
Brad Branson. On July 10, 2019, Martínez signed with
RETAbet Bilbao Basket of the
Liga ACB. On July 8, 2020, Martínez had signed with
Baxi Manresa of the
Liga ACB. On July 15, 2021,
Baxi Manresa announced that Martínez would play one more season for the club. Martínez retired from professional basketball at the end of the
2021-22 ACB season, having played more than 600 games in the league. ==Spain national team==