The reason why LeBron and Jokic admire Jordi Fernández: “He caught my attention”

Jordi Fernandez He has broken down countless barriers to become the first Spanish NBA coach and the third European coach ever for his mastery of the board and for his talk, wisdom but also empathy.

Today head coach of the Brooklyn Nets The Badalona coach’s stay in the United States is now over 17 years And there is something in NBA circles about Catalan that they unanimously and endlessly repeat when hearing Jordi’s name: his gift for communicating and connecting with all kinds of people, including stars like Nikola Jokic and LeBron Jameswho recently put the one from Badalona through the roof.

“When Mike Brown brought him (to the Cavaliers), he was just a sponge. You could tell he had a tremendous work ethic and you could tell he knew the game. I knew he would be a head coach somewhere and he has become a head coach here (in the NBA) and, obviously, it’s very deserved,” said The King, who worked in Cleveland last decade with Badalona between 2009 and 2010 and between 2014 and 2016, earlier this year. Jordi was also with Nikola Jokic during his time as an assistant on the Nuggets between 2016 and 2022.

Albert Canellasassistant coach of Joventut, was able to see first-hand the group management of Jordi Fernández in the two weeks he was working with the Nets coaching staff in the NBA Summer League this summer that is now ending.

“What caught my attention is the high level he has in terms of knowledge, communication and leadership but, at the same time, the ability he has to be very close. He knows very well when he has to exercise his role as a coach, communicator and leader but he is also a very close person. He was with me and we did not know each other, he is a great leader,” highlights Cañellas.

“Everyone there has not only a professional devotion to him, but also a personal appreciation. This personal appreciation makes them want to work with him, that they are comfortable working with him and that in difficult moments they will give everything for him. At least, that was my feeling,” explains one of the assistants of Dani Miret on the Penya staff.

“Jordi has great technical quality and, on the other hand, great personal proximity. Of course, this is a very powerful balance because there are people who are very good professionally, technically and communicatively but then there is a personal barrier and then it is difficult to work with them. But Jordi has these two wings,” Cañellas continues explaining.

Fernández, who started playing basketball in La Penya, said that the biggest change of being the head coach in the NBA is that “everyone needs a little bit of you” referring to the management of the large group he leads, a consideration that reflects the importance that the Catalan gives to the human side. Cañellas felt the good atmosphere that Badalona has created.

“Everyone who works with him is happy and this cannot be faked, you either have it or you don’t. Pretending that someone is happy working in a place is something that you can achieve one day, but when you are with them for a long time and you see that it is not fake but real, you see that there is leadership and work behind it,” highlights Albert Cañellas. Jordi Fernández has a clear formula: you cannot play and win without first talk and connect.