Paris 2024: Spain's Rudy Fernandez makes history with 6th Olympics appearance

History has been made in Olympic men’s basketball.

After checking in during the first quarter of the Spain vs. Australia match in Group A of Paris 2024, 39-year-old Rudy Fernandez became the first male basketball player to compete in six Olympic Games.

Fernandez will be shooting for his fourth medal in the Olympics. He has two silver medals from Beijing 2008 and London 2012, as well as a bronze from Rio 2016.

Here’s home the Spanish legend fared in his previous five Olympic Games:

Athens 2004 - 5.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists

Fernandez made his Olympic debut in Athens, where Spain swept Group A with a 5-0 record.

However, the knockout draw didn’t favor the Spaniards, getting Team USA in the quarterfinals as the Americans struggled in preliminary play, finishing with a 3-2 record as the no. 4 seed from Group B.

Spain lost in the quarterfinals, finishing in 7th place despite a 6-1 record.

Beijing 2008 - 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists

Rudy was a key player for the Spain team that entered Beijing as reigning world champions.

However, Team USA once again proved to be their nemesis as Spain bot games to the Americans in the 2008 Olympics, once in Group B play and the other in the gold medal match.

In the finale, Fernandez led the team in scoring with 22 points. He shot 5/9 from three, but fouled out late as Spain lost a close contest to take silver.

London 2012 - 9.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists

Spain didn’t look as sharp in London, losing twice in group play.

However, Fernandez came alive in the knockout rounds to send Spain back to the gold medal game against Team USA.

Rudy shot three triples for 11 points in the semifinals against Russia, avenging their loss in group play. He also scored 14 in the final game against the Americans, but Team USA once again won a close game to take gold.

Rio 2016 - 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Spain figured in a loaded group in Rio, with all four teams from Group B that advanced finishing with identical 3-2 records.

Fernandez led La Roja to a key win in the final day of preliminaries, scoring 23 points as Spain beat Argentina. The game stands as Rudy’s best-scoring performance of his Olympic career.

In the knockout rounds however, Team USA once again proved to be Spain’s boogeyman for a fourth-straight Olympics with the Americans taking a close victory in the semifinals.

Spain salvaged a bronze medal with a one-point win over Australia.

Tokyo 2020 - 5.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists

Entering Tokyo 2020 as defending world champions, Fernandez and all of the Spanish team struggled, entering the knockout rounds as only the no. 6 seed.

The prize was another early showdown with Team USA, who themselves had early struggles before beating Spain anew on the way to another gold medal. Spain finished Tokyo 2020 in 6th place with only a 2-2 record.

Paris 2024 - ???

Spain is in the so-called “Group of Death” in Paris. Aside fro Australia, the reigning Olympic bronze medal winners, La Roja will need to deal with Greece in Group A, as well as Canada, the reigning bronze medal winners from the FIBA World Cup and the team that ended their reign as world champions last year.

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Story summary:

• Rudy Fernandez Makes History: At 39 years old, Rudy Fernandez becomes the first male basketball player to compete in six Olympic Games, aiming for his fourth medal after securing two silvers and one bronze in previous tournaments.
• Previous Olympic Performance: Fernandez has had a remarkable career with Spain, highlighted by key performances in Beijing 2008 (silver), London 2012 (silver), and Rio 2016 (bronze).
• Paris 2024 Outlook: Fernandez and the Spanish team face tough competition in the "Group of Death" in Paris 2024, with formidable opponents including Australia, Greece, and Canada.

[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.]