Earlier during the World Cup, David Blatt made the effort to join the Canadian team in Jakarta, Indonesia. If we talk about effort, it’s because the former coach of the Cavaliers has been affected by multiple sclerosis for several years and he suffers when moving around.
Despite that, he was still there, on his crutches, in Manila, for the small final against Team USA. He therefore saw the victory of Canada up close, for which he has been a consultant for three years. A presence and work highlighted by Jordi Fernandez.
“I want to thank two people who are unique to me: my wife Kelsie and David Blatt”declared the bronze medalist coach for BasketNews. “I’m sure many here know him. He is like a guardian angel, always there for me. »
In addition to being familiar with European basketball (Jordi Fernandez was born in Spain, David Blatt coached there), the two men shared a common experience in Cleveland in the NBA. The current Kings assistant was in charge of the G-League team when David Blatt coached LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in 2014/15.
“We had a great connection,” remembers Jordi Fernandez. “Since I was in the G-League, he was kind of my boss, but he knew where I came from. I’ve watched him for years, he’s one of the best in history. I love his personality, his intelligence, his way of communicating. »
And the illness of the 2015 NBA finalist has only strengthened already very strong bonds.
“It’s clear that we’re close,” concludes the Canadian coach. “We all know what happened to him, not only did he get fired but then he had health problems. I have a lot of respect for the way he handles it all and for everything he has done for me. There is no bad day for him, he always has a positive attitude. He helps me and that’s huge for me. »
