Temple University Athletics
Fernandez's Dream is "Written in the Stars"
1.23.12 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Etched on his upper back are two small stars, tattooed in ink, hovering above the words “written in the stars.” Throughout the game, they lie concealed beneath his jersey but in his subconscious, they are always there.
It represents the ties that bind a young man in pursuit of his life-long dream to his family, despite the nearly 5,100 miles that usually separate them.
For Juan Fernandez, the tattoo -- a symbol he chose in solidarity alongside his brother, aunt and mother -- is a physical memoriam of his late grandmother and grandfather whom he cites as his inspirations.
Though the 6'4” Argentinean guard has certainly had his share of critical, game-changing moments that seemed celestially-scripted throughout his four years at Temple, Juan Fernandez is remarkably grounded.
A commanding leader behind the key, the flaxen-haired Fernandez is far more deferential off-court, preferring to give credit to his parents, Gustavo and Nancy, for his success as a by-product of his basketball upbringing.
“My life was always based around basketball,” Fernandez said.
“My dad played professional basketball since I was born. The year I was born [1990] was his first year as a professional basketball player, so I literally watched him play from the moment I was born. My mom, my brother [Gusti] and I never missed a home game.”
Even so, a career in basketball wasn't always “written in the stars” for the now-senior.
Before the “shot heard 'round the world,” before unleashing a deadly, career-high 33 points against Villanova in 2010 and before he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 A-10 Tournament, there was a time that Fernandez didn't even like basketball.
At the age of two, his father gifted him with his first basketball lesson. It didn't quite pique the young boy's interest, who initially preferred soccer.
“I didn't like basketball until I was six when my dad took me to my first practice,” Fernandez said. “I actually didn't want to play. I was kind of a fat kid and not athletic, but my dad told me to try it so I did.”
Eventually, Fernandez began to catch on, and under the careful tutelage of his father, developed his passion for the game. That's the way it's been for the father-son duo ever since.
“I talk to my dad every day -- before a game, after a game. That's the way my family works,” he said. “He's my in-house coach. Literally”
Though his father instilled his technical love for the game, it was his mother, Nancy Fiandrino, that encouraged Fernandez to pursue basketball at the collegiate level. After coming to the United States to study English, Fiandrino saw the value in receiving a college degree stateside and convinced Fernandez to consider Temple University rather than pursue what was considered a more traditional route of establishing professional career overseas.
“My mom is the one that always says to me 'if there's something you want to do, just go for it and don't let anything stop you',” he said.
And so, in the days following his high school graduation, Fernandez heeded his mother's advice, packed his belongings and boarded a jet bound for Philadelphia, via Chile, Miami and New York, leaving behind his family, his native language and the comfort of small-town living.
“Home is far away for me,” Fernandez said. “It's basically a full day's worth of travel [from Rio Tercero to Philadelphia]. I spend lots of time waiting in airports.”
Twenty-four hours later, in December of 2008, Fernandez arrived on Temple's campus where he was quickly thrust into the bright lights and endless bustle of living in a major American city. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the language barrier that confused the young Fernandez. It was the American customs.
“For me, the most different thing about Philadelphia is the time, not the language,” he explained. “It's only an hour difference, but here people have dinner at 7 P.M. In Argentina we wouldn't have dinner until 10, 10:30 P.M. It was hard for me to adjust to that schedule at first.”
Eventually, Fernandez adjusted seamlessly -- a transition made smoother with the help of his teammates, coaches and their respective families.
“I think everybody understands what it's like when you're coming from outside and how you don't have anyone here and you can't go home for holidays,” Fernandez said. “People here understand that and they try to help you in the best way possible. It's something I've always really appreciated while being here.”
Though Philadelphia will never quite mirror the quaint, familiar streets of Rio Tercero, Argentina, Fernandez admits that over the past four years, he has come to recognize Philadelphia and Temple's campus as a second home. The feeling is reciprocal on campus, as it seems he has become an inextricable part of the Temple community. Regardless of whether or not he is clad in the heather grey sweatsuit emblazoned with “Temple Basketball” that demarcates the players from other gratuitously tall undergrads, students are magnetically drawn to the unassuming Argentine, offering words of praise or congratulatory high-fives.
“I feel like I belong here, especially now after having a little bit of success with the team. When you walk around campus and see people that you don't even know congratulating you on a good game last night, it definitely makes you feel like you belong and those people support you,” Fernandez admitted confidently.
Much like the way that Temple became a surrogate home, the Temple community has become a surrogate family for Fernandez. He ascribes the adrenalized, fervent Temple fans that pack the Liacouras Center game after game to root on the Owls with creating a powerful, emotionally-charged atmosphere that motivates both he and his team to be successful.
“You feel really comfortable playing at home. When you see all the people in the stands at the Liacouras Center, it's definitely an extra motivation. You feel supported and there's no better feeling than that. The fans are great and they definitely make their presence felt. That's a big part of why we're winning at home,” Fernandez said.
For Fernandez, the concept of home is fluid and ever-evolving. While Argentina will always be linked to a sense of permanence and Temple a four-year temporary haven, the 21-year-old is hoping to establish a professional career in the NBA following his graduation this May, in whichever city his budding career may take him. Though there are no guarantees, Fernandez feels he is closer to his dream of playing professionally as a direct function of his time spent here at Temple.
“In Argentina, the NBA is something you don't even talk about,” he said. “You don't mention it. But being here, it's something that a lot of people talk about coming out of college. Hopefully I'll be able to sign a contract somewhere next year and start playing. Then I can take care of my family the way my father did.”
And whether or not this dream is written in the stars? Only time will tell. But Fernandez offered this:
“If I had the chance, I'd choose [Temple] all over again.”
by Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com Columnist (originially appeared in Jan. 4, 2012 Duke game program)
