The Brooklyn Nets are one of the most surprising teams early this season, and it is hugely because of one man, their new Head Coach Jordi Fernandez. Despite many people labeling the Nets as one of the worst teams entering the 2024-25 season, they’re off to a 4-5 start! It is because of the new boss’ tactics, as he managed to outwork the opponents on multiple occasions. Many of his players are crediting Fernandez’s straightforward approach as one of the reasons for the team’s great start.

Ziaire Williams was asked if there’s anything unique about Jordi Fernandez’s coaching style, to which he replied, “Jordi is just gonna keep it real with you, straight up. He expects us to play at a certain standard every night, and if we don’t play to that standard, we’re gonna hear from him,” he added, giving an insight about the stern nature of the new Brooklyn head coach.

This approach has seen results so far, as the Nets look like a side ready to compete. They have the 10th-best offense in the NBA, moving without the ball and grinding the opposition defenses late into shot clocks. Whereas defensively they are emphasizing ball pressure, forcing 15.8 turnovers, which is ranked 6th-best in the league!

Although this is Jordi Fernandez’s first stint as a head coach in the NBA, he’s been around the league for quite some time. He has previously worked with Cleveland, Denver, and Sacramento before landing his current job. He developed a love for coaching pretty early in life and has shown incredible grit to come to where he is today. Let’s take a closer look at his journey, family roots, and more.

Where is Jordi Fernandez from? A glance into his life before he became the Brooklyn Nets HC

Jordi Fernandez’s journey started in Spain in Badalona, where he was born and raised by Jordi and Gabi, making him a Spanish citizen with also Spanish descent. It is a city with a rich basketball heritage, and it didn’t take much time before Fernandez realized that his future with basketball would not be on the court, but on the sidelines. At just 15, he dived into coaching, and by 22 he was in charge of a senior team where its players were mostly older than him!

Trying to pursue a basketball career propelled Jordi Fernandez to then earn a degree in Sports Psychology. At one point, the pro even supported his education by washing dishes at a restaurant, back when he moved to Amsterdam for a year! Then he quickly moved up the ladder and became a manager, whilst making up his mind that he could achieve anything he put his mind to.

Jordi Fernandez had a stint in Norway before he changed continents and moved to the US, where he worked at Impact Basketball in Oklahoma. It was there where he was discovered by Mike Brown, who took him under his wing and brought him to the Cavaliers.

In Cleveland, Jordi made his name and even took charge of their G league side. Then he moved to the Nuggets in 2016 as an assistant coach before being recruited by the Kings in 2022. In the traditional annual survey among NBA’s General Managers, he was voted the best assistant coach in the league! After taking the role at the Brooklyn Nets, he became the first Spanish head coach in NBA history.

The time when Fernandez’s Canada team faced Spain during the Olympics

Jordi Fernandez took charge of the Canadian National team, back in 2023, when he replaced coach Nick Nurse. He then took Canada to a podium finish at the FIBA World Cup, taking home the bronze medal. This was the best finish ever by the country at the global event. He then took Canada to Paris at the 2024 Olympics, where the nation made its first appearance since 2000.

Jordi Fernandez even faced his homeland in the group stage of the competition, but for him, “It’s just another game for me,” and added, “I bleed Canadian and I’m all for Canada. Those are the interests of my people right now,“ playing his role as a true boss. In the end, Canada did win the game but eventually lost in the quarter-finals to hosts France, finishing 5th at the Olympics.