Basketball: Jordi Fernández becomes the first Spanish coach in NBA history

Spaniard Jordi Fernandez, coach of the Canadian basketball team, was named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, the New York franchise announced.

At 41, the first Spaniard named at the head of a franchise playing in the NBA spent the last two seasons on the staff of the Sacramento Kings, of which he was the assistant coach. He was also an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets (2016-2022).

He also gave Canadian basketball the first medal in its history by leading the selection to third place in the last World Cup last September, defeating the United States in the “small final” (127 -118 after overtime).

Eleventh in the regular season in the Eastern Conference, the Nets, who did not secure a ticket for the play-offs of the current season, are engaged in a reconstruction process that Fernandez will have to lead.

“Jordi's leadership personality and emphasis on structure, method and practice will instill a Nets identity that our fans will want to anchor,” commented franchise owner Joe Tsai in a statement.

“We look forward to working with Jordi to build a lasting culture of winning in Brooklyn,” he adds.

The press release does not specify the terms of the contract signed by the coach born in Badalona, ​​Catalonia.

The Canadian Basketball Federation indicated for its part that it had been closely associated with the Nets and Jordi Fernandez, Canada coach since June 2023, during the process of his recruitment.

“We can confirm that Jordi will remain our coach this summer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” underlines Rowan Barrett, general manager in charge of high performance within the men’s selection.