The man credited with placing La Laguna on the domestic and international basketball map in the 2000s is stepping down today after two decades at the helm.
Felix Hernández took over the reins of what was then a very small CB Canarias club back in 2004, having served as a director for several years before than, but not even he could have imagined the stunning rise it has enjoyed since then.
Known currently as La Laguna Tenerife for sponsorship reasons and having attracted major sponsors such as Iberostar and Lenovo in recent years, the club is widely considered a shining example of growth and stability without overstretching resources.
After rising through the ranks and securing promotion to Spain’s elite ACB league in 2012, under Hernández’s wise leadership CB Canarias has become one of the most respected teams in the league thanks not just to its performances on the court – frequently reaching the playoffs and latter stages of the Cup – but also the lack of controversies off the court, a far cry from its footballing counterpart CD Tenerife.
Its family atmosphere has been key to attracting players of the calibre of Marcelinho Huertas, the league’s MVP this season, who has enjoyed a purple patch since moving here several seasons ago. For others such as Aaron Doornekamp and Tim Abromaitis, the club has been a platform projecting them to bigger sides in the league but they subsequently returned to the place they call home.
Success in European competition in the Basketball Champions League over the last decade has further cemented the legacy of the quiet and unassuming Hernández, who enters a well-earned retirement this evening at the club’s AGM. However, continuity is assured in the shape of his successor Aniano Cabrera, who has been with Hernández throughout as CB Canarias’ sporting director and general manager.
