Rudy Fernandez is a Spanish basketball establishment.
Over an expert profession that spanned greater than 20 years, Fernandez made 366 appearances for Spain’s nationwide crew, greater than any participant in historical past. He additionally was a mainstay with Actual Madrid, profitable seven home championships and three EuroLeague titles over a 13-year tenure following stints with the Portland Path Blazers and Denver Nuggets.
As one in every of Europe’s most profitable golf equipment, Actual Madrid usually boasts a roster stocked with NBA alumni. Within the 40-year-old Fernandez’s last professional season (2023-24), his teammates included Mario Hezojna, Facundo Campazzo and ex-Celtic Guerschon Yabusele.
In addition they featured a participant lower than half Fernandez’s age, with far much less expertise than these well-traveled vets. However although he was inexperienced — and, as such, had a comparatively minor function on a Madrid crew that was contending for trophies — Fernandez noticed actual potential in younger Hugo Gonzalez, and he’s not shocked that the Celtics did, too.
Boston chosen Gonzalez with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In an interview with the Herald three weeks later, Fernandez raved concerning the 19-year-old wing, whom he watched develop from a preteen on Actual Madrid’s youth groups to an everyday contributor for the senior squad.
“Hugo all the time stood out within the youth ranks of Actual Madrid and the nationwide crew due to his bodily instruments and his scoring capability,” Fernandez, who was drafted twenty fourth general in 2007, instructed the Herald through electronic mail. “When he began becoming a member of us with the senior crew, what stood out was that he wasn’t afraid of contact, and above all, he was all the time asking questions — he needed to know the whole lot taking place within the recreation. …
“He was all the time asking questions and paying shut consideration to the whole lot round him to slot in and continue to learn. For me, younger gamers usually solely fear about scoring factors, however he was totally different. He needed to develop each space of his recreation to grow to be an entire participant, not simply give attention to one factor.”
Gonzalez was simply 16 when he made his debut for Actual Madrid’s prime aspect. Then, after excelling for its de facto JV crew and starring in consecutive Subsequent Technology Tournaments (annual showcases for the highest under-18 gamers from elite European golf equipment), he grew to become a full-time full-team participant at age 18, seeing motion in 36 of Actual Madrid’s 43 Liga ACB video games and 30 of its 40 EuroLeague matchups this previous season.
As by far the youngest participant on a veteran-laden squad (which by that time had added ex-NBAers Serge Ibaka and Bruno Fernando), Gonzalez’s dedication to versatility, unselfishness and dirty-work competitiveness served him nicely. He established himself as a reliable NBA prospect regardless of averaging 4.5 factors and fewer than quarter-hour per recreation within the Spanish league and 1.9 factors and fewer than eight minutes in EuroLeague play.
“At first, he didn’t get many minutes with Actual Madrid’s first crew,” mentioned Fernandez, who retired final offseason, “however in a while, he earned an everyday rotation function as a result of he might achieve this many issues — not simply be an explosive participant, but in addition defend, rebound, house the ground along with his capturing and go rather well with an important really feel for the additional go.”
Gonzalez’s worldwide resume additionally helped put him on the radars of NBA groups. Fernandez mentioned he “actually observed (his NBA potential) when he performed with the nationwide crew in opposition to gamers his age.”
In 2022, Gonzalez was a part of a crew that reached the finals of the U17 FIBA World Cup, defeating a French squad that featured 5 future NBA draft picks (together with final yr’s prime two choices, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr) within the semis earlier than shedding to Cooper Flagg, Ron Holland and Crew USA. A yr later, he led Spain in scoring within the U18 EuroBasket match, along with his crew once more shedding within the last to a Serbian outfit headlined by Nikola Subject, who went on to be picked twelfth general by Oklahoma Metropolis final summer season.
Spain’s U18s completed thirteenth on the European championships in 2024, however Gonzalez dominated, averaging 20.7 factors, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 steals and a couple of.0 blocks per recreation.
Although Gonzalez has posted robust scoring numbers in age-grade competitions, he doubtless received’t be requested to do a lot of that for Boston, not less than early in his profession. In Brad Stevens’ draft-night information convention, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations lauded his “powerful,” “hard-playing” perspective and “willingness to do sacrificial issues.”
“He cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes,” Stevens mentioned. “He’s received all of the intangibles of a profitable basketball participant. There’s issues he can get higher at, similar to everyone else at that age, however competitiveness is at a excessive stage.”
Stevens’ solely point out of Gonzalez’s scoring was that the crew believes he’ll enhance as an out of doors shooter. That was one of many greatest knocks on Gonzalez as a prospect after he shot 27.7% from 3-point vary (23-for-83) throughout all competitions in his last season with Actual Madrid.
Fernandez mentioned he “utterly agree(s)” with the Celtics’ evaluation of his former teammate.
“I all the time tried to instill in him the concept of committing to bettering the crew every time he’s on the ground, and he’s executed that completely,” Fernandez mentioned. “He’s received the bodily instruments, good fingers, a powerful understanding of the sport on each ends, and he’s a stable standstill shooter. Possibly he might enhance his motion capturing, particularly coming off screens, however he’s the kind of participant who will get higher on daily basis.”
Gonzalez didn’t have to attend lengthy to expertise NBA basketball for the primary time. Actual Madrid’s home season ended (with a championship win over Valencia Basket) mere hours earlier than the Celtics draft him. Days later, he was on the courtroom on the Auerbach Middle, working by follow drills with Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman.
Then, it was straight into NBA Summer season League. Gonzalez noticed motion in four of the Celtics’ five games in Las Vegas — the crew sat him for one finish of a back-to-back to keep away from sporting him out — averaging 14.9 factors, 6.2 rebounds and three.8 assists within the match. Total, he lived as much as his scouting report, missing consistency as a shooter (30.2%; 30.4% from three) however showcasing the power, excessive motor and slicing capability that Stevens coveted.
“Hugo may be very good, and that provides him a stage of maturity past his years,” Fernandez mentioned. “The NBA is hard, however the important thing for him will probably be to have endurance and encompass himself with individuals who may give him good recommendation and steering.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is thought to be onerous on rookies, so Gonzalez will solely see NBA minutes this season if he earns them. There will probably be better alternatives for taking part in time, nonetheless, following Boston’s offseason exodus of rotation talent, and the Celtics could possibly be extra keen to work by a teen’s inevitable struggles than they have been in years previous.
If Gonzalez can carve out a job, Fernandez believes he’ll shortly grow to be a fan favourite.
“I’m satisfied they’ll kind a particular bond with him as a result of he’s going to provide the whole lot he has in each second of the sport,” he mentioned. “And I do know Celtics followers admire that.”
