For Nate McMillan, coach of the Portland Trailblazers, the scenario couldn't have been more perfect—an Olympic gold medal showdown between Team USA and Spain.
On the one hand, his homeland's best players, bent on bringing respect and prestige back to American basketball. On the other hand, the world's most worthy challenger, featuring one of McMillan's newest students (signed with Portland July 1), Rudy Fernandez.
As if the dream matchup wasn't enough, it turned out be one of the classic Olympic battles of the ages. In the end, McMillan's team got the gold and McMillan's new student got a gold star.
In a thrilling 118-107 USA win, Fernandez led Spain with 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting including 5-for-9 beyond the arc and 3-for-3 from the line in 17:34 minutes. Tack on two rebounds, two assists, and one steal plus an eye-watering facial dunk around NBA monster Dwight Howard, and McMillan had to be salivating.
After a brief rest, both McMillan and Fernandez will meet at Portland's training camp in September.
There, the quest continues for more gold: the elusive NBA championship trophy
photo credit: www.fannation.com
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