VIDEO: Rudy Fernandez Listlessly Describes His Life And Career

Did he dye his hair? Looks funky.

 

Points for honesty.

As the overseas competition improves, and salaries between those leagues and the NBA are comparable for middle of the road players like Fernandez, it's no surprise that some players would prefer to play near their family and friends.

 

Well with all the whining going on I think its refreshing to see an NBA player sticking to his contract and playing for the team, even though its painfully obvious he doesn't want to be there at all.

If that guy was someone Stephen Jackson he would have stayed home all season long, or reported to camp out of shape.

 

Wow. I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. I mean, you could say that he's getting paid millions, but I think it's clear he could get that kind of money back home.

I'm sure he's just homesick.

 

I don't have a problem with that. He should be expected to play hard for his coach and his teammates and honor his contract. But beyond that, he's under no obligation to hide his desire to get back to Europe. Not every player is well-suited for American basketball, and those that aren't don't have to pretend otherwise.

 

IMHO, I think he's just upset about how last season went altogether. With all the injuries Portland had to contend with, it brought him down. I get he misses his family and stuff but he was pretty happy his first year when they were winning before our beloved Rockets knocked them out of the first round. He also wants to start and I think he would be starting in Europe...

 

Do Euro clubs give him bottled water with the cap already off? Might have to reconsider Rudy..

And i never understood why some reporters repeat questions, instead of simplifying them, when foreign players dont understand

 

Its kind of a boom or bust thing for Euro players going to the NBA. If they don't get immediate success, they'll probably brood and become disgruntled that they left comfortable surroundings for next to nothing.

Really the nationality of the player doesnt matter, ANYONE would feel the same way. Brandon Jennings didnt take to a single year stop-gap European season that well, imagine if he was in contract for 3 years. (We won't count Von Wafer...)

People are looking at it like its a college student electing to stay in school for 7 more years instead of going out into the "real" world. He tried it and its not working out, why not just say its not working out and go back?

Of course when you're playing 35 minutes a game and shooting to your heart's content, sentiments might be different.

 

Good interview by Rudy. He admits the problem isn't the Blazers, it's that he doesn't fit the NBA well.

Hopefully he improves this season and changes his mind or perhaps the Blazers will let him go next summer if he doesn't act infantile.

 

Cliff Notes:

Rudy does not like the NBA style, he prefers the European style. He doesn't care where he is traded (if traded) he just wants to go back to Europe. He is homesick, misses his family and friends. Says he is a professional ballplayer and will continue playing and working hard, but does not want to be here although he loves Portland (the community and the fans).

That's pretty much what he said for almost 10 minutes. He didn't really answer a lot of questions they were asking, just kept saying thing over and over and over.

Quite frankly I'm sad that Rudy doesn't want to stay here. I actually like how he plays and was hoping that he would fulfill his potential somewhere in the NBA, oh well.

 

My take:

He can't handle the superstar driven, more physical NBA. He prefers team oriented finesse Euro style ball. He also thought he'd be a bigger impact than just a bench role player. Sure the home sick reason always crops up for these Euro players, but I don't see his fellow Spaniards like the Gasol brothers complaining about being homesick. Basically he's getting a case of the Spanoulis, but at least he's honoring his contract.

A bit of trend that generally Euro guards have a tougher time getting used to NBA ball then Euro big men.

 

In the end, I think when it comes to scouting foreign talent, mental fortitude seems to be a must. And that NBA scouts should take that into account.

You really need serious dedication and toughness to adjust to the NBA. Look at Yao and how much he had to overcome, how much defenders just foul him over and over without foul calls, and still able to compete night in and night out. And practice harder than everyone else to refine his game.

Then you have VSpan... enough said.

I'm not saying that the NBA's at fault. It's mainly an American enterprise based on American style basketball. So it's natural that foreigners should adjust to us, not vice versa. It's simply that both players and teams should understand that it's not just about basketball skills and athleticism when it comes to playing in a foreign country speaking a foreign language.

 

He seemed very authentic in the interview. I think that by him playing practically same position as Roy, it relegated him to a bench guy - with limited upside. Rudy is a free style type player whose been hand cuffed, and his game is suffering tremendously - essentially the Blazers style took all the fun out of basketball for him. Literally, Rudy looks defeated and depressed about the situation.

Can't blame the Blazers for not trading him, they know Rudy is a talented player. They aren't going to give him up for less than market value. But, geesh, this is bad PR for the NBA as a whole, with salaries going up in Europe, it might be tougher bringing in top flight European talent to the NBA. Gasol and Nowitski, have proved to be among the best at their positions for their entire careers.

 

There goes his trade value.

I think Rudy could be a much better player than what the Blazers have established for him as his role on the team. Would it help his disposition towards the NBA for him to get more PT? Of course. But certain things he says I think are also true. No major city in America, Portland included, can hold a candle to the intimacy of a European town, especially the kinds Rudy would be considering in Barcelona or Madrid and the like.

 

I wonder if it has anything to do with his family.

 

trade him for Taylor and use him as trade bait to land someone decent at the deadline.

 

I don't think it's his style. He's one of the rare international guards that has the right style and attributes for the nba. I think he just wants to play more. He would get the playing time in europe as well as a better pay cheque, add the family and why wouldn't he want to go?

 

navarro did the same thing. A lot of international players have problems adapting to the NBA.

 

yup, and fran vasquez n rubio still haven't even come over. i don't know if i can really blame them all, spain is a great place to live