History beckons for long-time Spanish skipper Rudy Fernandez in Paris 2024.
It’s only fitting that Rudy Fernandez’s final tournament of his illustrious basketball career is at the world’s biggest sporting event.
Fernandez is set for a record sixth straight Olympic Games appearance, bannering the 12-man roster of the Spanish men’s national basketball squad in the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Spain secured a last-minute Olympic slot after beating Bahamas in the final round of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Valencia.
That means a seven straight Olympic Games appearance for La Roja in the quadrennial sporting event, and a fitting swansong for the 39-year-old Fernandez, who will make history as the only basketball player to appear in six consecutive Olympics.
Fernandez, whose first taste of Olympic play was back in the 2004 edition in Athens, Greece, was part of Spain’s golden generation alongside brothers Pau and Marc Gasol and point guard Ricky Rubio that copped two silvers (2008 Beijing, 2012 London) and a bronze medal (Rio 2016).
The former NBA player also won four EuroBasket titles and two World Cup championships while becoming Spain’s most capped player at 261 games and counting.
Earlier, Fernandez announced he’s retiring from basketball after Paris 2024 after playing a combined 24 seasons that spanned various stints across US and Europe.
The rest of La Roja’s roster include an NBA talent in Memphis Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama, Usman Garuba, Alex Abrines, Dario Brizuela, Lorenzo Brown, Alberto Diaz, brothers Juancho and Willy Hernangomez, Sergio Llull, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, and Jaime Pradilla.
Despite lacking the star power of previous generations, Spain's success is a testament to their collective strength and strategic brilliance under coach Sergio Scariolo.
Spain is in perhaps the ‘Group of Death’ in Paris, joining reigning FIBA World Cup bronze medalists Canada, Giannis Antetokoumpo and Greece, and Australia in Group A.
Story Summary:
- Rudy Fernandez, in his sixth consecutive Olympics, leads Spain's national basketball team into Paris 2024, marking a historic farewell for the 39-year-old star.
- Spain secures a spot in their seventh straight Olympic Games after a dramatic victory over Bahamas in the qualifiers, ensuring Fernandez's unique achievement in basketball history.
- Despite a challenging group in Paris, Spain's cohesive team, under coach Sergio Scariolo, aims to uphold their legacy of success in international basketball.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]