101 Greats of European Basketball

Nobody could imagine that was the last trophy Fernando
Martin would lift.
On December 3, 1989, Fernando Martin left his
house to drive to a home game against CAI Zaragoza
– a game which, by the way, he was not going to play in
due to some back problems he had been dealing with
for some time. On the M30 highway that circles Madrid,
he lost control of his Lancia in the middle of the afternoon
and he died in the accident. Martin was only 27
years old and still had a long career ahead of him. The
game was suspended, and his funeral drew the presence
of many big names in Spanish sports, including
his on-court rivals like Epi and Audie Norris. Real Madrid
retired his jersey number 10 and in 2007 he was inducted
into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
The Martin name was present for a few more years
in Spanish basketball through Antonio, Fernando’s little
brother, who followed his footsteps in Estudiantes, Real
Madrid and the Spanish national team. Also, Jan Martin
played for a few years in Estudiantes, Real Madrid and
Fuenlabrada. Jan, the son of Fernando and Petra Sonneborn,
an Israeli model, also played in several clubs in
his mother’s country.
So, the Martin saga lives on – if not on the courts,
then surely in the memories of all of us who were lucky
enough to enjoy the game of Fernando Martin.
Fernando Martín
the European crown to Petrovic in 1985. It was an unforgettable
game that Madrid won 117-113, with overtime
included after the fourth quarter ended 102-102. In an
offensive festival, Petrovic shined with 62 points (8 of
16 threes in 45 minutes) while on the other side, Oscar
Schmidt had 44 points in 44 minutes (6 of 11 threes).
101 greats of european basketball
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