Jordi Fernandez will no longer serve as head coach of the Canadian senior men’s national basketball team. Sportsnet’s Michael Grange was first to report the news.
Why Fernandez chose to step down at this time remains a mystery. He declined to comment on the situation when asked ahead of Wednesday’s matchup between the Nets and Washington Wizards at Barclays Center.
“In fairness to Canada basketball, I want them to make the announcement,” Fernandez said. “Once they do, I’ll be able to answer all your questions.”
The Canadian men’s team is currently ranked fifth in the world. After replacing Nic Nurse as head coach in the summer of 2023, Fernandez led the program to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, its highest finish since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
General manager Sean Marks fully supported Fernandez’s Olympic pursuits when he was officially hired in April. He believed the more chances Fernandez had to hold a clipboard, the better. While Fernandez was absent last offseason, the Nets formed a “robust” offseason program for players, led by assistants Steve Hetzel and Juwan Howard.
TRADE DEADLINE LOOMING
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Whether Cam Johnson remains with the Nets beyond then remains to be seen, but the sharpshooting wing did return from a six-game absence to face the Wizards.
“It’s always great to have him,” Fernandez said. “Leadership in the right way. He creates attention. He makes everyone’s life easier; not just his teammates but also me. So, it’s great to have him, great connector, great leader.”
Washington’s roster was gutted after the franchise traded away Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday, which left it severely shorthanded against Brooklyn. The Nets know what that’s like. Don’t remind them what happened after Dennis Schröder was traded in December.
“It’s pretty similar to when guys are out at the last minute and so forth,” Fernandez said. “You’re still preparing to play against a team that has a system and runs certain plays. Only now instead of being out for whatever reason, they’re getting traded. But the most important thing here is us.”
Nets veterans have been the subject of trade rumors since the offseason, so it’s been easier for them to block out the noise.
“That’s the reason why they just kept working & kept competing,” Fernandez said. “These last few days are no different than weeks ago.”
SCHEDULE UPDATE
The Nets March 16 game against the Atlanta Hawks will no longer be broadcasted on NBA TV. It has been replaced by a matchup between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.