According to TSN on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets will hire Jordi Fernandez of Badalona, Spain as their new head coach. Fernandez was previously a players development coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2009 to 2013, an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets from 2016 to 2022, and an associate coach with the Sacramento Kings the last two seasons from 2022 to 2024.
In addition to his assistant coaching duties, Fernandez is the head coach of Team Canada on the international stage. At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Canada won their first medal in the history of the FIBA World Cup. Houston Rockets small forward Dillon Brooks of Mississauga, Ontario scored 39 points in the bronze medal game as Canada stunned the United States 127-118 in overtime. In being one of the top two teams from the Americas at the World Cup, Canada also qualified in men’s basketball for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
It is the first time that Canada has qualified in men’s basketball at the Olympic Games since 2000. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the Canadian star on the court was Steve Nash of Victoria, British Columbia. What do Fernandez and Nash have in common? Well, they both have been named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
Fernandez takes over from Kevin Ollie of Dallas, Texas, who was named the interim head coach of the Nets on February 20. This past season, the Nets missed the playoffs with a record of 32 wins and 50 losses.
Fernandez is one of three coaches in the NBA born outside the United States. He is joined by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr of Beirut, Lebanon, and Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic of Cacak, Serbia.
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