Manu Ginobili
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Emanuel David "Manu" Ginobili (born July 28, 1977 in Bahía Blanca, Argentina) is an Argentine basketball player. He is a member of the Argentine national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He is generally regarded as one of the finest basketball players ever to come from Argentina, and indeed from South America. Like many Argentines, Ginobili is a descendant of Italian immigrants. Ginobili comes from a basketball family. Older brothers Sebastian and Leandro have played professionally in Argentina and Spain, respectively, and their father, Jorge, was a coach at a club in Bahía Blanca where Ginobili learned to play. Ginobili is a wiry, 6-6 (1.98 m) left-hander who is also adept at going to his right. Being fearless, though, could be one of his better assets.
He made his professional basketball debut for the Andino team in the 1995-1996 season and was traded to Olimpo de Bahía Blanca the next year. He played with his hometown team until the Italian league attracted him, and in 1998 he moved to Europe, playing in the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 seasons with Basket Viola Reggio Calabria, after which he was traded to Kinder Bologna, which he helped win the 2001 Italian Championship, 2001 and 2002 Italian Cups, and the 2001 Euroleague, where he was named MVP. He also made the Italian league's All-Star game three times during this period.
In the 1999 NBA Draft, the Spurs selected Ginobili late in the second round with the 57th overall pick, the penultimate choice in the entire draft. However, he did not sign with the Spurs until after the 2002 Basketball World Championship in Indianapolis, where he made the all-tournament team (alongside fellow NBA rookie-to-be Yao Ming and established NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic) and helped lead Argentina to a controversial second-place finish. In the years since, some commentators have deemed him the greatest draft day steal in modern NBA history, and perhaps all-time.
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In his first season, Ginobili rose from the bench to help the Spurs climb to the NBA championship in 2003, when San Antonio beat the New Jersey Nets in six games. In 2004, however, the Spurs lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA playoff rematch with a memorable shot from Derek Fisher with no time remaining in the series' fifth game. Then Spurs where desmoralized and Lakers went on to win the series a game later.
On August 15 of the same year, Ginobili led the Argentine team to an 83-82 win over Serbia-Montenegro with a shot he made while falling to the floor with less than one second to go, in Argentina's basketball opener at the Olympic Games in Athens. Argentina team went on to win the gold medal, with Ginobili leading the team in both scoring (19.3 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg). Ginobili was named the MVP of the Olympic tournament.
He is the only player in basketball history to win the European Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA Championship ring.
On February 8 of the following year, Ginobili was selected (by a vote of NBA coaches) to the 2005 Western Conference All-Star team as a reserve, his first time making it to the elite midseason showcase.
Ginobili is known for his up-tempo style of play, his flashy passing, and behind-the-back moves when attacking the basket. His modus operandi (for example, lowering his head while driving toward the basket, and willingness to draw charges on defense) is the source of much consternation for opponents, among the most vocal of whom have been coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets, and several players on the Phoenix Suns.
Titles
- 2001 Italian Championship (Kinder Bologna)
- 2001 Italian Cup (Kinder Bologna)
- 2001 Euroleague (Kinder Bologna)
- 2003 NBA Championship (San Antonio Spurs)
- 2004 Summer Olympic Games Gold Medal (Argentina)
Awards
- 2001 Italian League Most Valuable Player
- 2001 Euroleague Most Valuable Player
- 2002 Italian League Most Valuable Player
- 2003 Italian League Most Valuable Player
- 2004 Summer Olympic Games Most Valuable Player
- 2005 Nike Baller Of The Year (fan poll)
External links
- Official site in English (http://usa.manuginobili.com)
- Template:Es icon Web Oficial en español (http://argentina.manuginobili.com)
- NBA profile (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/emanuel_ginobili/?nav=page)
- Template:Espn nba
- A Manu Ginobili Fan Page (English) (http://www.nbamatchup.com)
- SportingNews Article (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=elcontusione&prov=tsn&type=lgns)de:Emanuel Ginóbili