By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Representing Spain in the 2023 FIBA World Cup aiming to conclude his international career in the 2024 Olympic Games, Rudy Fernandez became the first European player to compete in five editions of the World Cup.
Fernandez, 38, officially set a new record in Jakarta on Saturday. Staying on the court for 14:27 as the team coached by Sergio Scariolo blew out Core D’Ivoire, he tallied five points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
The most recent outing upped the individual total of games played in World Cups or World Championships to 34. The defending world champions and last summer’s EuroBasket champions launching yet another extended run would allow Fernandez to match the record through the maximum of seven more games left this summer.
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Before launching the campaign in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the veteran swingman revealed his decision to end his international career in the 2024 Olympic Games, assuming Spain will secure a ticket to Paris. In any case, the ongoing tournament is the last World Cup of his storied career with La Roja.
From contributing 9.1 points per contest as the gold medals of the 2006 World Championship and 7.8 points per game in the 2019 World Cup, Spain earned the gold medals in Japan and China, respectively. Participating in the two middle editions lasting through the change from World Championship to World Cup added to the record-breaking legacy.
Fernandez became the 14th player to make an appearance in a fifth World Cup. Earlier in the Indonesia Arena, Brazil’s Marcelinho Huertas was the 13th. The veteran combo guard also enjoyed a convincing win, chipping in ten points, six assists, and one rebound as the national team of his country strolled past Iran.
Brazil has actually produced the most five-time participants with Leandro Barbosa, Marcel de Souza, Alex Garcia, Marcelinho Machado, Bira Maciel, and Anderson Varejao already on the list. Puerto Rico’s Jorge Diaz, Daniel Santiago, and Jerome Mincy, Angola’s Eduardo Mingas, Argentina’s Luis Scola, and Australia’s Phil Smyth are the remaining members of the exclusive club.
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