Fernando is the first and, so far, only Angolan ever to play on basketball’s biggest stage – and the Houston Rockets forward-centre believes it is only a matter of time before his footsteps are followed.
“I represent Angola with a lot of love, a lot of passion,” the 24-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.
“Hopefully that opens the door and more guys can come in. I’d love to have another guy from Angola play in the NBA so that we could exchange jerseys – that’s an experience I’d look forward to.
“I’m rooting for them, cheering for them and hoping they are able to make it happen.”
Angola have been historic heavyweights in continental basketball, winning a record 11 men’s AfroBasket titles in a period of almost unchallenged dominance between 1989 and 2013.
For the past decade, the team has struggled but Fernando – who will be entering his fourth year in the NBA when the new season tips off on Tuesday – is hoping his experiences can help usher in a new era of success for the country’s basketballers.
‘Coaching by Siri’
Fernando was spotted playing for his country at the 2014 Fiba Under-17 World Championships in Dubai.
After an impressive showing against a USA team containing current Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum and Toronto Raptors guard-forward Josh Jackson, Fernando was snapped up by the IMG Academy in Florida.
“It was hard in the beginning. I didn’t speak the language and that was the biggest barrier,” Fernando recalls.
“I didn’t understand anything anybody said to me.
“During the games I remember our coach used to speak to Siri [on his mobile phone] and have Siri translate during timeouts. It was pretty tough, but I’m extremely grateful for those guys and all they did.”
After riding out a difficult introduction to life in the States, Fernando’s confidence quickly grew and in 2016 the prodigious youngster appeared on Angolan TV, predicting that he would be drafted to the NBA in 2019.
Many eyebrows were raised but, three years later, that bold prophecy was fulfilled as the Atlanta Hawks selected the Angolan.
After initially getting game time, however, the minutes dried up and he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2021.
Rocketing forward
This February, Fernando moved again, aiming to rebuild his career with the Houston Rockets.
“I’m just thrilled that I’ve got another shot, another opportunity to continue to work and elevate my game,” he said.
“It’s been a journey, a rollercoaster, but I wouldn’t change anything about it. I’m happy and glad that it happened the way it did.
“There have been good and bad days – tough moments. Those I only use to build me up. As a player it’s easy to get caught up in a place and time and just start to compare yourself with other people and their journey.
“But you need to realise that everybody has it different. I’ve always believed that the things that got me here were the reasons to keep me here.”
For now, Fernando is focused on making an impact with the Rockets, for whom he has re-signed ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.
“Coming to Houston was like finding the light, I was in a very dark place,” Fernando explains. “Being able to come into a fresh energy, with a lot of young guys in a similar situation to myself, trying to solidify themselves in the league and establish themselves was refreshing.
“Being able to play basketball and have fun, being like a kid again. It took me away from the dark place and helped me enjoy the game of basketball again.
“Houston is the perfect place for me at this stage of my career; the guys they’ve got, the organisation itself, everything they are building – I’m excited to see the future and where it goes.”
