Fernando Martín made history on October 31, 1986, when he became the first Spanish basketball player to appear in an NBA game. The former Real Madrid player took the court for the Portland Trail Blazers against the Seattle SuperSonics at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Oregon, playing two minutes without recording a notable action.
Martín had been selected by the New Jersey Nets in the second round of the 1985 NBA Draft, 38th overall. He did not sign the non-guaranteed contract offered after the Summer League, delaying his NBA debut until the following season, when he joined Portland.
His time in the league lasted one season. Martín faced limited opportunities under coach Mike Schuler and returned to Real Madrid in the summer of 1987, where he played for two more seasons. He died in a traffic accident on December 3, 1989, aged 27, while travelling to watch a game against CAI Zaragoza. He was injured and was not due to play.
Portland later became home to several other Spanish players. Sergio Rodríguez joined the team in 2006 and spent three seasons there. Rudy Fernández arrived in 2008, set a team rookie record with 159 three-pointers in a season, and took part in the 2009 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest wearing Martín’s jersey as a tribute. Víctor Claver followed in 2011 and played 80 games over three seasons.
Four Spanish players have appeared in official games for the Trail Blazers. Pau Gasol was also briefly part of the roster, but did not make an on-court appearance.
Sources: elDiario.es.