Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernández Farrés (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈruðifeɾˈnandeθ]; born 4 April 1985) is a Spanish former professionalbasketball player who spent the majority of his career forReal Madrid of the SpanishLiga ACB and theEuroLeague. He is a 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tallswingman. He is a three-timeAll-EuroLeague Team selection and won theEuroLeague title in2015,2018 and2023. During his stint in theNational Basketball Association (NBA), he was anNBA All-Rookie Second Team member.
Fernández represented the seniorSpanish national team internationally, and became the most capped player ever for Spain, with 266 matches.[1] He has won twoFIBA World Cup titles, in2006 and2019, twoOlympic silver medals in2008 and2012, as well as a bronze medal at the2016 Summer Olympics. He also won fourEuroBasket titles in2009,2011,2015 and2022, a silver medal in2007, and a bronze medal in2013. Fernández earned anAll-EuroBasket Team selection in 2009.
Rudy Fernández won the 2005 and 2007Catalan Tournaments, the 2006FIBA EuroChallenge championship, the 2008Spanish King's Cup title, and the 2008EuroCup championship, while playing withDKV Joventut of theSpanish ACB League.
He also won numerous personal awards while playing with DKV Joventut, such as the 2004Spanish King's CupMVP, the 2006FIBA EuroChallenge Final Four MVP, theEuroLeague2006–07 season'sRising Star award, the 2008Spanish King's Cup MVP, the 2008EuroCup Finals MVP, and the 2007Catalan Tournament Final MVP.
He was also named the 2006FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year.[2] In July 2007, his contract with Joventut was extended through the year 2011, however his contract was bought out early in the year 2008 so that he could join theNBA. On his exit out of the club he paid tribute to his DKV coach,Aíto García Reneses, "All I know of basketball is thanks to Aíto García Reneses", he said.[3]
On 28 June 2007 Fernández was taken 24th overall in theNBA draft by thePhoenix Suns, who subsequently traded his draft rights along withJames Jones to thePortland Trail Blazers for cash. Rudy Fernández announced at a press conference on Friday 6 June 2008 that he would leaveDKV Joventut to join thePortland Trail Blazers for the2008–09 NBA season, and he signed a contract with the Blazers on 1 July.[4] "They [Portland] have shown a lot of interest in getting me and have assured me that I will be an important part in the team", he said.[3] Fernández joined theNBA team on 22 September 2008.[5] He became the eighth Spaniard to play in the NBA.[3] For the2008–09 NBA season he joined several other fellow Spaniards in the league that includedPau andMarc Gasol,Jose Calderón, and Trail Blazers teammateSergio Rodríguez. He entered the NBA following his participation with theSpain national team at the2008 Olympic basketball tournament inBeijing, China.[4][6]
Fernández played in his first regular-season NBA game on 28 October 2008, coming off the bench to score 16 points in a 96–76 Portland loss to theLos Angeles Lakers.[7] On 12 November 2008 Rudy scored 25 points in 29 minutes against theMiami Heat, including 8 of 8 from the free throw line adding to his already 92% FT shooting to set a new NBA career high.[8] On 18 January 2009 it was announced that Fernández had won the fan voting and was picked the fourth dunker to go to theNBA Slam Dunk Contest as part of the2009 All-Star Weekend.[9][10] During the contest, he paid tribute to the late Trail BlazerFernando Martín by wearing his #10 jersey.[11] Fernández was eliminated in the first round of the competition, after what some thought was biased judging.[12][13]
On 9 March 2009, against theLos Angeles Lakers, Fernández was taken off the court in a stretcher after Trevor Ariza hit him on the head on a fastbreak attempt. Fernández was alert and conscious when leaving the court with full movement of his extremities, however, he was taken to the hospital due to chest pain.[14] He was released from the hospital the next day with a bruised chest and a righthip pointer.[15]
Fernández was selected to theNBA All-Rookie Second Team on 30 April 2009. He set NBA rookie records for number of three-point field goals made (159), hitting a three-point field goal in 33 consecutive games, and making a three-pointer in his first 20 career NBA games.[16]
On 16 October 2009 Blazers announced that they had exercised the third year of their option on Fernández's contract, keeping him with the team through the 2010–11 season.[17]
In December 2009, Fernández underwentmicrodiscectomy surgery for aherniated disc that was causingleg pain.[18]
On 20 August 2010 Fernández was fined $25,000 for "public statements detrimental to the NBA," a day after his agent publicly demanded a trade from the Blazers.[19] On 17 December 2010 he hit 9-of-15 shots and four 3-pointers for a career-high 26 points with six assists in a 107–102 win againstMinnesota.[20] Fernandez along with teammatePatty Mills donated 50% of the proceeds from their jerseys sales, throughout the month of January, to help those affected by thefloods in Australia.[21] Fernández had a season-high eight assists on 22 January to go with 11 points, six rebounds and two steals in 37 minutes off the bench as aPG in the 97–92 win againstIndiana.[22][23] Disappointed Fernández and his team, for the third consecutive time, exited the first round of theplayoffs, this time against theDallas Mavericks. Fernández struggled offensively for a good part of the year, but his improved play in other areas of the game has earned him praise from his peers. Blazers head coachNate McMillan, who isn't known to hand out compliments easily, singled out his defensive play in the second half ofGame 4 against the Mavericks as the key to the 84–82 win.[24]
On 21 September 2011 Fernández signed a one-year contract with theLiga ACB teamReal Madrid, valid only while a newNBA collective bargaining agreement remained under negotiation.[25] Fernández signed for a reported salary of 2.7 millioneurosnet income per season, the largest contract in Spanish league history, at that time. His deal also gave him the option to return to Real when his NBA contract ended.[26]
During the 2011 NBA Draft Rudy Fernández was traded to the Mavericks in a three-team trade.[27] However, he never played for the Mavericks, as he was traded withCorey Brewer to theDenver Nuggets on 13 December 2011. The Mavericks received a second-round draft pick and a traded player exception.[28]
He played 31 games for Denver before suffering a season-ending back injury. In July 2012, Fernández announced he would not return to the NBA, opting for a 3-year deal withReal Madrid Baloncesto.[29]
On 4 July 2012 Fernández returned to Real Madrid by signing a three-year deal[30] worth 9 million euros net income.[31] In May 2014, alongside his teammateSergio Rodríguez, he was named to theAll-EuroLeague First Team of theEuroLeague, the second consecutive in his career.[32]
On 14 August 2014 he signed a three-year extension with Real Madrid, to stay in the club until 2018.[33] In May 2015, he was chosen to theAll-EuroLeague Second Team for his performance during the season.[34] Real Madrid won theEuroLeague 2014–15 season championship, after defeatingOlympiacos, by a score of 78–59 in thefinal game.[35] Real Madrid finished the season winning theSpanish League 2014–15 season championship, after a 3–0 series sweep in the ACB finals againstBarcelona. With that trophy, they finished the season having won thetriple crown.[36]
In May 2018, Real Madrid won the2017–18 EuroLeague championship, after defeatingFenerbahçe Doğuş in thefinal game with 85–80.[37] Over 30 EuroLeague games, Fernández averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. One month later, the club won theSpanish league after a 3–1 series win againstBaskonia. Fernández was namedMVP of the finals.
On 2 July 2018 he signed a two-year extension with Real Madrid, to stay in the club until 2020.[38]
On 16 August 2024, Fernández retired from basketball.[39]
Fernández has been participating in international basketball competitions since he was sixteen years old. He played at theFIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and at theFIBA Europe Under-18 Championship with the Spain national junior teams.
As a member of the seniorSpain national team, Fernández competed at the2004 Summer Olympics, averaging 5.1 points per game, in 10.6 minutes per game. The next year, he played at theEuroBasket 2005, but his statistics were worse: 2.7 points per game, in 16.3 minutes, with a 31.6% FG%[40] His third appearance with Spain's senior national team was at the2006 FIBA World Championship, where he became an important player for the Spanish team, and contributed with 9.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, to help his team win a gold medal.
He also played at theEuroBasket 2007, where Spain won the tournament's silver medal. During this tournament, Rudy averaged 9.9 points in 20.3 minutes per game. At the2008 Summer Olympics, Spain lost toTeam USA in the gold medal match. Fernández scored 22 points in 18 minutes of play, with 5 three-point goals, and completed a dunk overDwight Howard[41] thatESPN sportswriterBill Simmons described as "hellacious".[42] During the Olympics, Fernández had the following stats: 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, in 22.3 minutes per game.
TheEuroBasket 2009 in Poland was his sixth consecutive appearance with the Spain national team. Spain won its inaugural gold medal in a European Championship, and Fernández averaged 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, in 28.4 minutes, and was named tothe All-Tournament Team.
In the2010 FIBA World Championship, Fernández averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, but Spain only took sixth place in the tournament. Fernández then participated inEuroBasket 2011,[24] where Spain won the gold medal, and clinched a spot in the2012 Summer Olympics,[43] where he won a silver medal with Spain. He also played atEuroBasket 2013, where he won a bronze medal, at the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, atEuroBasket 2015, where he won a gold medal, at the2016 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal, at the2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he won a gold medal, at the2020 Summer Olympics, and at theEuroBasket 2022, where he won a gold medal.[44]
Fernández marriedHelen Lindes, his girlfriend of three years, on 4 July 2015. They live in Pozuelo de Alarcón, on the outskirts of Madrid. His older sister,Marta Fernández, played in theWNBA for theLos Angeles Sparks in 2007.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Portland | 78 | 4 | 25.6 | .425 | .399 | .839 | 2.7 | 2.0 | .9 | .2 | 10.4 |
| 2009–10 | Portland | 62 | 2 | 23.2 | .378 | .368 | .867 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 8.1 |
| 2010–11 | Portland | 78 | 3 | 23.3 | .370 | .321 | .863 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .2 | 8.6 |
| 2011–12 | Denver | 31 | 1 | 22.9 | .440 | .328 | .698 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .1 | 8.6 |
| Career | 249 | 10 | 24.0 | .399 | .360 | .840 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .2 | 9.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Portland | 6 | 1 | 27.0 | .429 | .421 | 1.000 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .5 | 7.5 |
| 2010 | Portland | 6 | 3 | 19.8 | .444 | .478 | .750 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .2 | .0 | 6.8 |
| 2011 | Portland | 6 | 0 | 13.5 | .222 | .300 | .667 | 2.0 | .8 | .3 | .2 | 2.8 |
| Career | 18 | 4 | 20.1 | .388 | .423 | .792 | 2.2 | 1.1 | .6 | .2 | 5.7 | |
| † | Denotes season in which Fernández won theEuroLeague |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Joventut | 19 | 15 | 25.7 | .478 | .429 | .814 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 2.1 | .3 | 15.8 | 16.8 |
| 2011–12 | Real Madrid | 8 | 8 | 25.0 | .385 | .319 | .895 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.3 | .1 | 11.5 | 10.9 |
| 2012–13 | 27 | 26 | 27.2 | .429 | .338 | .802 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.5 | .4 | 13.7 | 16.2 | |
| 2013–14 | 31* | 31* | 27.8 | .432 | .353 | .891 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .2 | 13.2 | 17.2 | |
| 2014–15† | 25 | 25 | 27.4 | .416 | .355 | .892 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .1 | 12.7 | 15.7 | |
| 2015–16 | 14 | 11 | 22.6 | .372 | .304 | .731 | 2.4 | 1.9 | .4 | .1 | 7.6 | 6.6 | |
| 2016–17 | 32 | 7 | 23.3 | .343 | .323 | .750 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 6.5 | 8.4 | |
| 2017–18† | 31 | 2 | 19.4 | .382 | .371 | .879 | 2.5 | 2.6 | .7 | .2 | 7.4 | 9.0 | |
| 2018–19 | 31 | 7 | 20.5 | .409 | .414 | .815 | 2.8 | 2.7 | .8 | .2 | 9.0 | 10.5 | |
| 2019–20 | 25 | 3 | 20.0 | .392 | .416 | .771 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .1 | 8.1 | 9.3 | |
| 2020–21 | 28 | 0 | 15.4 | .342 | .346 | .846 | 1.1 | 1.2 | .5 | .1 | 5.5 | 4.5 | |
| 2021–22 | 34 | 0 | 18.5 | .355 | .327 | .769 | 3.0 | 2.0 | .9 | .2 | 6.0 | 7.5 | |
| 2022–23† | 20 | 0 | 17.4 | .337 | .299 | 1.000 | 2.2 | 1.5 | .8 | .2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | |
| 2023–24 | 24 | 0 | 15.4 | .373 | .365 | .857 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .9 | .0 | 3.3 | 4.9 | |
| Career | 349 | 135 | 21.6 | .398 | .359 | .835 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .2 | 8.7 | 10.2 | |
Gold
Silver
Silver Gold Gold Silver
Bronze Gold
Bronze Gold Gold
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