School of hard knocks in session for Rudy

LONDON (Friday Eurovision) - Spain's Rudy Fernandez is getting a chance to play with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers this season.

In addition to gaining experience and plenty of adulation, the 23-year-old rookie discovered something else this week while playing in Portland's Rose Garden.

Life in the NBA is no bed of roses.

By now you've probably seen the play on the internet. Rudy was soaring in for a lay-up at the end of the third quarter against Los Angeles when Lakers small forward Trevor Ariza raced into the picture, attempted to block the shot and accidentally hit Rudy’s head, causing him to lose control and crash to the hardwood.

Rudy, stretchered off with his neck in a brace, suffered a hip-pointer and bruising to the chest but thankfully shouldn't miss too many games.

I like Ariza. He used to be on my fantasy team. He is not a dirty player. But Ariza forgot something that's fundamental in basketball.

A defender simply cannot cause an air-born player as Rudy was to lose his balance.

When that happens, it's bad news because more times than not, the player will have a hard landing and get hurt.

I can remember numerous instances when this type of play has happened and no, I'm not thinking of NFL cornerbacks hitting wide receivers in mid-air collisions.

The one occurrence I'll never forget happened in 1984 during my freshman year at Chapel Hill, when the LSU Tigers came to town.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were the best team in the country.

Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins were on that Carolina team, and so was a freshman named Kenny Smith, the same Kenny Smith who today works as an analyst for TNT's NBA coverage.

Smith, whose nickname was the Jet, left his feet just as Rudy did for an easy two points when out of nowhere an LSU player named John Tudor crashed into him.

The Carolina point guard hit the ground hard and didn't get up.

Jordan stormed into the picture and standing up for Smith, pushed Tudor into the stands.

Smith suffered a broken wrist and missed several games before coming back for the post-season.

He wasn't the same again that year and sadly, neither was Carolina who ultimately lost to Indiana in a second-round NCAA Tourney contest in Atlanta when Bobby Knight's unknown defensive specialist Dan Dakic shut down Jordan in His Airness' last game in Tar Heel blue.

The NBA showed leniency by not coming down hard this week on Ariza, who was ejected at the time of the foul. Ariza has since offered his apologies to Rudy through his Lakers teammate Pau Gasol, stressing that he meant no harm.

Gasol and Rudy are good friends. Both play for Spain's national team and Gasol has been in touch with Rudy every day to make sure his countryman is okay.

Rudy showed up at the Rose Garden on Wednesday but was still having some difficulty breathing. He walked gingerly around the Portland locker room before the team’s game against Dallas and spoke to reporters.

"My family and everybody (was) scared for the play," Fernandez said.

"But right now, I think it's good luck for me that (I didn't) break anything. And I think right now (I need) a little rest ..."

It's a hard game sometimes.

Jose Barea of Puerto Rico, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, smacked his face on the court earlier this month and lost one tooth while chipping another.

Basketball is a non-contact sport, but it's a very tough one as well.

Jeff TAYLOR