Nets' HC Jordi Fernandez Reflects on Denver Reunion

The 41-year-old made his return to Ball Arena last night.
Jan 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN;  Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez applauds his players after calling a time out against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez applauds his players after calling a time out against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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Overshadowed by the storylines from the Brooklyn Nets' 124-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets was a homecoming for the franchise's rookie head coach.

Jordi Fernandez served as an assistant coach on Mike Malone's staff from 2016-22 before joining the Sacramento Kings as an associate head coach the following year.

Pregame, Fernandez credited his experience in Denver for the situation he's in now.

Dec 13, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

“Six years of my life with my family were here, my kids were born here, so great memories, not just professionally but family-wise,” the 41-year-old told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Every year I was here helped me prepare for this job. Michael Malone, the organization, the coaching staff, ownership, front office, every experience … it was one of the reasons I’m in the position I’m in right now."

Fernandez revealed how the Nuggets' homegrown philosophy will benefit his future in Brooklyn.

“I was able to experience a young team, the majority of guys were drafted that we built into a playoff team, made it to a conference finals and then won a championship," he said. "So the process really helped me to understand how things work. It’s never going to be the same, and it’s not going to be perfect, but going through it here and being part of it, I think it was a great experience for me as a coach.”

Jan 4, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez reacts during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Recognized across the league as a player development expert, Fernandez aims to implement a similar roster strategy that fueled Denver's title run during the 2022-23 season.


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Kyler Fox
KYLER FOX

Kyler is a staff writer for Brooklyn Nets on SI, where he covers all things related to the team. He is also the managing editor of The Torch, St. John's University's independent student-run newspaper.