Former first-round pick Rudy Fernandez, who spent three NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers and one with the Nuggets from 2008-12, announced that he’s going to retire from basketball this summer, according to BasketNews.com.
Fernandez, who turned 39 years old today (happy birthday), averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 36.0% from three-point range in 249 career regular season games with Portland and Denver (24.0 minutes per contest).
The longtime guard/forward has played for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid since exiting the NBA in 2012. Over the past 12 years, he has won three EuroLeague titles and six domestic championships in Spain’s top basketball league, BasketNews notes. Fernandez started his career with another Liga ACB team, Joventut, in 2001/02.
“This is ending, the time is coming to think about things other than basketball,” Fernandez said. “I want to enjoy the remaining months. Retirement is a difficult and impactful word when you hear it. But my goal is to play in another Olympics.”
Fernandez will play for the Spanish national team in the Olympic qualifying tournament that will be held in Valencia, Spain, in early July. If Spain wins the OQT, which also features Poland, Finland, Lebanon, Angola and the Bahamas, it would advance to Group A of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Fernandez is a highly decorated veteran with Spain, having won two Olympic silver medals (in 2008 and 2012) and one bronze (2016). He also helped Spain win four EuroBasket tournaments (2009, 2011, 2015, 2022) and a pair of World Cups (2006, 2019).
This dude was fun to watch. Congrats on the solid career.
*Joventut. The same team where Ricky Rubio started
Thanks. Typo.
Rudy had game ….. best wishes
link to youtu.be
He’s a guy who could have stayed in the NBA, but chose to go back to Europe. Good move by him, if an unfortunate one for the league. In those days (and today to a lesser degree), the NBA didn’t understand the international game or the games of its stars, and didn’t use the latter properly.