Jordi Fernandez weighs in on becoming NBA head coach in the future / News - Basketnews.com

Fernandez said he wouldn't change the experience of coaching Canada in the World Cup and the Olympics for anything else. If he becomes an NBA head coach one day, he will accept it, but he does not want to worry about things in the future and enjoy the moment instead.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Jordi Fernandez, an NBA assistant coach, replaced Nick Nurse, an established NBA head coaching veteran, in the Canadian national team. In the very first tournament, he captured the country's first-ever medal at the FIBA World Cup.

While most expected Canada to be a Team USA-lite, they featured a different game style, sometimes more similar to the one European teams usually play in international tournaments.

In an interview with Toni Canyameras from Mundo Deportivo, Fernandez claimed that Canada had its own style of play.

"We have a style of play that had to be different due to our physical capabilities and qualities. We are not a European team, nor are we the United States, we have our own identity," he said.

"It's true that we have players who can run the court after stealing the ball, and few can play on offense at this pace," he continued. "We generated good shots, I think we were number 1 or 2 in offensive efficiency in the entire tournament. People can say whatever they want about game systems or having a 20-second play to generate a shot. In the end, we created many quality shots and then made them because good shots are easier to make."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the team's leading man. He averaged tremendous numbers throughout the competition (24.5 PTS, 6.4 REB, 6.4 AST, 1.6 STL) and was arguably the most consistently dominant star player in the tournament.

While there were people who wondered how SGA would adapt to the FIBA game, he showed that there was little to doubt.

"You have to help players him a little so that they adapt to the FIBA ​​game with some time," Fernandez said about Gilgeous-Alexander. "He is very intelligent, and once he adapted, he had a spectacular performance. All the credit is his. A player like that makes you a better coach."

Fernandez was one of the finalists for the Toronto Raptors head coaching gig. In the end, he did not get chosen. Now an associate head coach for the Sacramento Kings, Fernandez would like to become an NBA head coach in the future.

However, nothing can replace coaching the Canadian national team for him.

"I'm excited to learn, to do new things and have different challenges in my life, that is important. Other than that, I'm not even obsessed with it," he said.

"I'd really like to be an NBA head coach, and I trust that it will happen, but I wouldn't change this World Cup experience and the opportunity to coach at the Olympics for anything in the world," Fernandez shared. "That's what really excites me because that's what will happen. The rest, it doesn't make much sense to think about things that you don't know if they will happen."

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