Manu Ginobili
From Hoopedia
Emanuel David Ginobili (Spanish: Ginóbili) (born July 28, 1977 in Bahía Blanca, Argentina), better known as Manu Ginobili, is an Argentine basketball player of Italian descent. He is a member of the Argentine national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. The NBA All-Star shooting guard is generally regarded as one of the best basketball players ever to come from Latin America.
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Player Profile
Ginobili is a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 205 lb (93 kg) shooting guard. His NBA career averages are 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is a relative late bloomer, entering the NBA at age 25 in a period where entering the NBA as a teenager was very common.
Initially a sixth man, Ginobili soon established himself as a starter. He is known for his up-tempo style of play, behind-the-back moves when attacking the basket and for his dunking skills. Ginobili is also known for his clutch play, documented by his numerous European league MVP awards, becoming 2004 Olympic tournament MVP, and proven by his strong play in the Spurs' 2004-05 championship-winning campaign, where he narrowly lost the Finals MVP vote to team mate Tim Duncan by 2 votes.
Ginobili's modus operandi is the source of much consternation for opponents (for example, lowering his head while driving toward the basket, and willingness to draw charges on defense), among the most vocal of whom have been coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets. These critics frequently accuse Ginobili of "flopping," or exaggerating the amount of contact that occurs when he is playing defense. Playing against the Lakers
Ginobili also deserves mention for being one of the few players who are successful under both the physical, one-on-one play of the NBA and the more technical, jumpshooting rule set of the FIBA. He is the only player in basketball history to win the Euroleague, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA Championship ring. He is also the only non-U.S. player ever to win both the NBA Championship ring and the Olympic gold medal, and only the second Latin American to be selected to play in an NBA All-star game (after Panama's Rolando Blackman).
Ginobili's career high in points is 48, which he scored vs. the Phoenix Suns during an overtime game in January 2005.
Olympic gold medal 2004
On August 15, 2004, Ginobili led the Argentine team to the gold medal. Ginobili was named the MVP of the Olympic tournament, sporting heroics like in the 83-82 win over Serbia and Montenegro with a shot he made while falling to the floor with less than a second to go, in Argentina's basketball opener at the Olympic Games in Athens. Ginobili led the team in both scoring (16.7 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg).
San Antonio Spurs
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 the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, where he made the all-tournament team alongside future NBA star Yao Ming and established NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic. Ginobili helped lead Argentina to a second-place finish. When he did return, he suffered an injury to his ankle, and was forced to watch training camp on the sidelines for two weeks. In the years since, some commentators have deemed him the greatest draft day steal in modern NBA history, and perhaps all-time.
In his first season in the NBA, Manu fought to get minutes playing backup for veteran Steve Smith. He spent much of the early season injured, and found it hard to adjust to the NBA's style of play. The Spurs didn't have much need for him and went 60-22 for the season. They entered the playoffs eager to upset the highly-favored Lakers. As his injury improved, so did Manu, winning Rookie of the Month in March. In the postseason, Manu became an integral part of Gregg Popovich's rotational set up. The Spurs proceeded to wipe out Phoenix and Los Angeles. In these games Manu's scoring threat took opponents by surprise, giving them one more thing to cope with against the now highly-favored Spurs. He helped guide them past the Mavericks and then the Nets in the Finals. After the win, Manu was named Argentina's top sportsman in the country's main newspaper, Clarin. He met Nestor Kirchner, the Argentine president, had a gym dedicated in his honour, and often required a police escort wherever he went.
After some issues with San Antonio over his contract, with agent Herb Rudoy, Ginobili re-signed and he became a starter for the Spurs in 2005. 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. On June 23, Ginobili won his second title with the Spurs playing as starter in a very defensive 7-game series against the Detroit Pistons, with a game 7 score of 81-74. In the NBA Finals MVP Award voting, Manu was edged out (6 votes to 4) by teammate Tim Duncan. He finished the 2004-2005 season as the second leading scorer on the team.
The 2005-2006 season started with troubles for Ginobili, who suffered foot and ankle injuries that hindered his ability to play.
On February 21, 2007, Manu set a Spurs franchise record with 24 straight points against the Atlanta Hawks.
Argentine and Italian years
Ginobili made his professional debut in the Argentine basketball league for the Andino Sport Club[1] team of La Rioja from 1995–1996, and was traded to Estudiantes 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. Team's coach Ettore Messina helped him improve his shooting, defense and leadership. He also made the Italian league's All-Star game three times during this period.
Family
Ginobili comes from a basketball family. Older brothers Sebastián and Leandro have played professionally in Argentina and Spain respectively. Their father, Jorge, was a coach at a club in Bahía Blanca, where Ginobili learned to play. His father is very involved in basketball in Argentina, most recently serving as president of the Bahiense Del Norte clubLike many Argentines, Ginobili is a descendant of Italian immigrants. He married Many Orono in the summer of 2004.
Personal
Speaks English, Spanish and Italian - Enjoys all types of music but lists Latin music as his favorite - Spends a lot of time on the internet (has his own website: www.manuginobili.com) - Enjoys relaxing with friends - Lists Sixth Sense and Forrest Gump as his favorite movies - Grew up a Michael Jordan fan - Also a big fan of soccer star Maradona.
