The City Council of La Laguna has resolved to designate the basketball player Sergio Rodríguez, known as ‘El Chacho’, as a favoured son of the city. The ceremony to honour and recognise him will be held next Monday, 24 February, commencing at 7:00 p.m., in the Consistory Plenary Hall.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, emphasised that “with this appointment, we aim to celebrate the journey and values that Sergio has consistently embodied in the realm of basketball, becoming a role model for multiple generations who cherish and engage with this sport.”
“Sergio Rodríguez, who grew up in the El Ortigal neighbourhood, has been one of the most distinguished figures from La Laguna in recent years and has played a vital role in elevating the profile of our municipality on both national and international stages, both through the various clubs he has represented and his contributions to the Spanish national basketball team, with which he has achieved significant successes,” added the mayor.
“With this event, we wish to acknowledge all the effort, dedication, and accomplishments that Sergio has exhibited in the sporting arena over his lengthy career, awarding him the highest honour that this City Council bestows upon its most eminent citizens,” concluded the mayor of La Laguna.
Professional Career
‘El Chacho’ announced his retirement during the summer of 2024 after achieving notable triumphs in the basketball domain. He is among the few Spanish athletes who have participated in the NBA, having played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and New York Knicks.
As a member of the Spanish National Basketball Team, he secured a gold medal at the 2006 World Cup in Japan, a silver at the 2007 Eurobasket, a bronze at the 2012 London Olympic Games, a bronze again at the 2013 Eurobasket in Slovenia, a gold at the 2015 Eurobasket in France, and two bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2017 Eurobasket in Turkey.
At the club level in Spain, he commenced his journey with the Tenerife Basketball Club, although he made his ACB debut with the historic students from Madrid. One of his most successful periods was spent at Real Madrid in Basketball, where he played a crucial role in securing numerous titles.
During his eight seasons with the Madrid club, he was able to claim 17 titles: two Euroligas, an intercontinental cup, four leagues, five King Cups, and five Spanish Super Cups. Additionally, he was named MVP of the Euroleague and selected as a member of the All-Star team in the 2013-2014 season, MVP of the Spanish Super Cup in 2013, and recognised three times as an All-Star team member in the league (2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2015-2016).
These were not his sole accomplishments on the European stage. Sergio Rodríguez also joined the legendary CSKA Moscow, a team with which he won a Euroleague title and two VTB leagues, as well as the EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, where he clinched a league title, two Italian Cups, and an Italian Super Cup.
