Rudy Fernandez: ‘My legacy is commitment’ | Paris 2024 Olympics

The opening match of basketball at the Paris Games today is also a door into history. Spain and Australia will meet at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille (11:00, TVE) in a match that will make Rudy Fernandez the only basketball player to have played in six Games, an honour he can share with American Diana Taurasi. Rudy will retire at 39 as the holder of a record six gold medals (four European and two world) in Spanish basketball. Before that, he has one last dance to do.

Ask. Have you been crying a lot lately?

Reply. Yes, I have been very excited these days. When you see your career ending and the days go by, you understand that it is always the last time. I am very grateful for all the recognition I receive. I must continue to enjoy this great sport and continue to make history with this T-shirt.

TO. What do you see when you look back?

R. I highlight the opportunity to continue competing at my age, to be able to go through the decades and continue winning titles with Madrid and tournaments with the national team. It is an honour to reach this point and to continue being a player who makes an important contribution to the team. And also for keeping the promise I made to my father to continue playing for the national team. He was very demanding of me, and that demand made me come here for my sixth Games.

TO. After living a generation with the Gasol brothers and Navarro, do you feel more valued now that they’re gone?

R. Honestly, it never bothered me. I always tried to work, be an important part of the group and achieve the goals I set for myself all these years. The recognition I get now makes me proud. The work is reflected.

TO. And the most expensive?

R. I have always been competitive and that is the most important thing I have thought about in my career. I did everything to win and that may have led to some fans not liking me more. That is the character that was instilled in me – a winner. What has left me is the fact that I was appreciated by the teams I played for.

TO. What will you tell the youth now?

R. I try to instill in them what they instilled in me in my youth, when I joined the national team. If we have achieved such great success in recent decades, it is thanks to following traditions, lifestyle and activities.

TO. Sergio Scariolo speaks of a certain modern conformism. Do you see in the current generations the capacity to sacrifice themselves for a career like yours?

R. I always adapted to what the team and the coach needed, even if it wasn’t the best for me personally or my statistics. But that’s what helped me become the player I was. That’s why I’ve been in the national team for 20 years, because I adapted to the game and how my physical condition changed over time. These values ​​are still there in general among the young players, albeit in a different way. You have to sacrifice things, and I try to convey to them that you have to sacrifice for this shirt.

TO. What legacy did he leave behind in basketball?

R. My legacy is dedication and the willingness to always represent this shirt. And to insist that it is not what is behind, our names or surnames, that matters, but what is ahead, Spain.

TO. How has your game changed over the years?

R. I have adapted to the body type that I have, instead of looking for more contact or penetration, I look for a shot and play from the outside. Moreover, I have managed to achieve a mental maturity that has allowed me to stay on top and be who I am.

TO. Spain suffered from participation in the Games. What to expect now?

R. We probably had the toughest group of the Games with Australia, Greece and Canada. But we know how to play in these kinds of tournaments and we earned here after the pre-Olympic preparation. We should enjoy it. We will be modest as always and see if we can surprise.

TO. How many mesh baskets do you have at home?

R. A lot. Every time I won a title, I was able to cut the net, imagine that. I have a lot of basketball history at home. I was lucky that I was able to cut the net in every final that I won.

TO. Future plans?

R. Family is the top priority: I can spend more time with my kids, watching them grow up. I missed out on a lot and now I will have the life I never had; I want to travel with them and of course be involved with basketball because that’s what I’ve always lived for. And play more golf.

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