Welcome Rudy

by Dave on Jul 1, 2008 10:26 AM PDT

As our good friend Lance Uppercut has informed us in the sidebar, Rudy Fernandez is officially a Blazer.

Here is the press release:

TRAIL BLAZERS SIGN INTERNATIONAL STAR RUDY FERNANDEZ

Spanish guard acquired by Portland in a 2007 Draft Day trade

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers reached an agreement to sign Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, it was announced today by general manager Kevin Pritchard.

“I am so excited about joining the Trail Blazers and the NBA,” said Fernandez. “The whole staff did a tremendous job making me feel like a very important team member to them and made me forget about the economic issues because of the rookie scale.

“My dream has been to play in the NBA and Portland is giving me this opportunity. I was amazed about everything that Mr. Allen, Kevin Pritchard, Coach McMillan and the rest of the guys did to show me how much they wanted me. Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, I can't wait to play with them. We will do nice things!”

Fernandez, 23, spent the past seven seasons playing for DKV Joventut Badalona in the Spanish ACB League, and is a regular member of the Spanish National Team.

“We are thrilled to finally have Rudy Fernandez in a Trail Blazers jersey,” said Pritchard. “Rudy is a tremendously talented player who has achieved great things in Spain and Europe . His work ethic and character will fit well with the culture we’ve created here, and we’re very excited to get him on the floor after the Olympics.”

Portland acquired Fernandez in a 2007 Draft Day trade with Phoenix that was finalized July 11, 2007. The Trail Blazers received the draft rights to Fernandez (selected by the Suns with the 24^th overall pick) and James Jones in exchange for cash considerations.

The 6-6 guard is coming off his best professional season to date in 2007-08, when he averaged 21.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.2 steals and shot 41.0% from 3-point range in 30 league games. DKV Joventut Badalona won both the ULEB Cup and The Copa del Rey this season, with Fernandez taking home MVP honors in both competitions.

A longtime member of the Spanish National Team, Fernandez played a key role for his country in the 2004 Olympic Games (7^th place), 2006 FIBA World Championships (Gold Medal) and 2007 FIBA European Basketball Championships (Silver Medal). He is scheduled to play in the 2008 Olympic Games this summer.

With the move to Portland , Fernandez will become the eighth Spaniard to play in the NBA and the third for the Trail Blazers, joining Fernando Martin (1986-87) and Sergio Rodriguez (2006-present).

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

0 recs | Comment 34 comments

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Comments

I am very excited

I can’t wait to join you all in the open treads on game day to cheer on my favorite player.

by RudyFTW on Jul 1, 2008 10:32 AM PDT 0 recs

Are you sure your not...

SergioFTW?

Don’t bother saying ‘no’ because I will never believe your lies! ;-)

by Devenex on Jul 1, 2008 1:12 PM PDT up 0 recs

Welcome Rudy!!!!!

And welcome, RudyFTW. Rudy For The Win, all the way, man. We talkin’ RINGS, baby!!!

'77

by LaoTzu on Jul 1, 2008 10:37 AM PDT 0 recs

Hurray!!

This dude is the real deal. I am absolutely astonished at how much talent we have on our team. We are totally stacked. I can’t believe it.

Where have all the flowers gone?

by bilingual octopus on Jul 1, 2008 10:40 AM PDT 0 recs

As a fan that shares the same birthday and passion for basketball as Rudy, I can’t tell you how excited I am to see him compete for some minutes on this team! Welcome to the best NBA city, RIP CITY!!!

by feedjockey on Jul 1, 2008 10:45 AM PDT 0 recs

I agree

It’s an exciting time to be a Blazers fan right now.

by Blaze of Glory on Jul 1, 2008 10:45 AM PDT 0 recs

Awesome!

Rudy! RuDy! rUDY! RUDY!!!

RipCity -- now, now ...

by Y5k on Jul 1, 2008 10:46 AM PDT 0 recs

might I add ... Sweeet.

RipCity -- now, now ...

by Y5k on Jul 1, 2008 10:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

IT STARTS TODAY

from this point forward we never lose a game again. Book it.

Jaws were hitting the floor as Greg repeatedly attempted to tear the rim off the backboard...

by TheOdenator on Jul 1, 2008 10:49 AM PDT 0 recs

Play by play ...

Roy passes to Rudy, in to LaMarcus, back out to Troutlaw in to Oden who picks the entire Rose Garden up over his head and crams it into the hoop.

RipCity -- now, now ...

by Y5k on Jul 1, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up 2 recs

haha yes!

That which prematurely arrives at perfection soon perishes. - Marcus Fabius Quintilian (35-95AD) Roman Rhetorician, Critic

by BlazerFan1 on Jul 1, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up 0 recs

wooo hooo

by BLAZERS#52 on Jul 1, 2008 11:04 AM PDT 0 recs

This calls for

a new signature.

"We will do nice things!" - Rudy, 07/01/08

by jorga on Jul 1, 2008 11:10 AM PDT 0 recs

Oh my gosh he has some great one liners lol

That which prematurely arrives at perfection soon perishes. - Marcus Fabius Quintilian (35-95AD) Roman Rhetorician, Critic

by BlazerFan1 on Jul 1, 2008 1:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yep.

I grabbed my new one a couple of days ago, but it’s the same idea. I love your sig, too!

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Batuuuuuuuum!

by rockingharder on Jul 1, 2008 4:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

Rudy! Ole' Ole' Ole'

That’s about all the Spanish I know (aside from what I need to order off the menu at Baja Fresh, anyway!)

Welcome Rudy!

by SloppyJoe on Jul 1, 2008 11:12 AM PDT 0 recs

Yabadabadoo!

by Falcao on Jul 1, 2008 11:35 AM PDT 0 recs

RRRUUUDDDYYY!!!

The NBA – where RUDY! happens!

Well I guess it is pretty obvious he his fully committed to being a Blazer.

No stalling, or messing around. He signs at the first available opportunity.

How sweet it is!

LMA's reign as "LaMonster of the Low Post" has just begun!

by LaMarvelous on Jul 1, 2008 12:42 PM PDT 0 recs

Poor Phoenix

I bet they wish they could do that trade all over again. Fernandez is going to be worth much more than whatever pocket/couch change Allen paid them for the pick.

by torsoheap on Jul 1, 2008 12:45 PM PDT 0 recs

This is another very exciting day for Portland. Rudy is a multiple time MVP in Europe, and is still really young. He’ll come off the bench most likely to start, but he should be a legitimate NBA player, and will probably log somewhere close to 30 minutes per game as a rookie.

Here are some of my favorite Rudy vidz…
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=UzaRAZ_yNTQ[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=dXAucLSrYv8[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=j0HLn0v0SZ0[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=WLb9FDF0rpA[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=zlP8tnHPwlI[/url]

by as11osu on Jul 1, 2008 12:52 PM PDT 0 recs

he is a terrible player i dont know why everyone has hyped him up

we should trade him, he has a bad attitude.

-Sophia

That which prematurely arrives at perfection soon perishes. - Marcus Fabius Quintilian (35-95AD) Roman Rhetorician, Critic

by BlazerFan1 on Jul 1, 2008 1:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

+1

Link!

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 1, 2008 3:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

That first one is SICK!

It looks like he throws up a lot of alley-oops. Good thing, too, since he’ll have the Twin Towers down low to toss to.

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Batuuuuuuuum!

by rockingharder on Jul 1, 2008 4:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

Rudy in only 8 minutes of a game

Preeurobasket-2007

The Midnight Rambler

by amlmart1 on Jul 1, 2008 12:52 PM PDT 0 recs

Sell-by date on Sergio Rodriguez?

How long will Serg remain in a Blazer’s uniform? I’ll start the over/under at 5 months

by two4larue on Jul 1, 2008 12:58 PM PDT 0 recs

I shall call you

Joe Buzzkill!

<-;-)

by tominhawaii on Jul 1, 2008 1:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Compensation

He is making rookie scale (for 2007, I assume, since that was his draft class).

So he’ll be making approximately Morris Almond type money (Almond was drafted 25th, Rudy was 24th). $1M each of the next three years, $2M in 2011/12, and $3M in the final year. IE, he took a huge pay cut to be here, let’s hope it works out for all parties.

by baduk on Jul 1, 2008 1:03 PM PDT 0 recs

I'm guessing, I think he'd have to get paid this year's scale

No one would come over if they had a contract to already signed in Europe, and had to wait a few years to come over to an outdated salary.

<-;-)

by tominhawaii on Jul 1, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

I swear

I was editing my title and then I must have hit a button because I was smack in the middle of editing that there title when it posted.

<-;-)

by tominhawaii on Jul 1, 2008 1:11 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah, but ...

... he’s paid now in sinking dollars, not rising euros.

RipCity -- now, now ...

by Y5k on Jul 1, 2008 1:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

Here's to Rudy....

Dropping 40 on the USA team in the olympics before losing the game by 1 point.

by monkeybones on Jul 1, 2008 1:12 PM PDT 0 recs

I know he'll be great

because KP said “culture”.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM PDT 0 recs

Rudy is made for the NBA

Looking at those videos, Rudy dunking and dunking, juking and reigning threes, you know he had to step up to the NBA. I am no talent scout, but you know he wants it. His game has MVP-desire written all over it. This is going to be awesome.

Dynasty, anyone?

'77

by LaoTzu on Jul 1, 2008 3:13 PM PDT 0 recs

Full of Talent

On one of the Sacramento Kings Fans Forums, a guy said, “The Blazers have a serious problem. They can only play five of their superstars at a time. Man, I wish we had that problem.”

:D :D :D

Go Blazers!

by IsaacFHarris on Jul 4, 2008 12:01 AM PDT 0 recs