Manu Ginobili
Born 1977
Hall of Fame Induction: 2022
Card Shown: 2002-03 Bowman
Signature Rookie Card
Position: SG
Height: 6’6″
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Growing up in Argentina, Manu Ginobili knew little about basketball in the United States. However, his love for the game of basketball would eventually propel him to stardom in the USA and around the world. Manu became the first player from Argentina to be drafted into the NBA. During his basketball career, he played in Italy, led Argentina to a gold medal in the Olympics, and was an integral part in the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
Awards and Honors
- Manu was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft. After being drafted, he played professionally in Italy for three years before joining the Spurs for the 2002-03 season. Few second round picks have had the success and impact on the game that Ginobili had.
- Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker joined forces to help create a Spurs dynasty that would last for over a decade and result in four NBA championships in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
- In 2007-08, Manu earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Though he possessed the talent of a starter, Ginobili was always willing to do whatever it took to help the team win, even if it meant coming off the bench.
- Ginobili was a two-time NBA All-Star in 2005 and 2011 and was also selected All-NBA Third Team in 2008 and 2011. Though he sacrificed personal accolades for the sake of the team, Manu was a key contributor to the Spurs dominance.
- Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, defeating the USA in the semifinals and Italy in the finals. Against the USA, Manu led all scorers with 29 points and he added 16 more in the final victory versus Italy.
Points of Interest
- Manu started playing professional basketball at the age of 18 in his native Argentina.
- Ginobili was a two-time Italian League MVP prior to arriving in the NBA.
- Manu came off the bench in 67% of his games in the NBA despite having the talent to be a full-time starter.
- Ginobili joined Bill Bradley to become only the second player to win a Euroleague title (2001), an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.
- Manu is grateful for the opportunity he had to be part of two incredible teams at the same time, the San Antonio Spurs and the Argentinian National Team. His parallel journeys on these two teams provided him with excitement, fun, team success, and valued relationships in his life.
Statistics
Manu Ginobili Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Personal Autograph Interactions
At the 2020 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, which took place in May of 2021 due to COVID-19, my son and I were fortunate enough to briefly interact with Manu after the induction ceremony and he graciously signed my 2009-10 Panini Rookies and Stars card. Ginobili was there to help celebrate the induction of his friend and teammate Tim Duncan. Tony Parker, David Robinson, and coach Gregg Popovich also attended the event.
At the 2023 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, I tried twice to get Manu to sign cards for me and was denied both times. First, Joshua and I saw Manu at the Awards Gala Reception on Friday evening. He said he would do photos, but no autographs. Right before the Awards Gala started, Joshua saw Ginobili sign for another kid and asked him to sign a second time. He signed for Joshua and I was right behind him. He waved me off and I was denied a second time in about 30 minutes. I wouldn’t have approached him again, but he had just signed for another kid and Joshua.
The following evening, on Saturday, after the induction ceremony was over, Joshua and I returned to our hotel and decided to hang out in the lobby to see who we would see. Several players and coaches who were staying at our hotel returned after attending after parties. Ginobili and Tim Duncan and some of their friends and family members were enjoying themselves in another part of the lobby. We knew better than to approach.
Finally, maybe an hour or two later at about 3:30 am, their group broke up and headed for their rooms. Manu was walking by the table where we were seated. Should I try a third time and risk getting shut down again? I called out to Manu and he stopped and signed two cards for me. He signed the 2012-13 Panini Signatures Stars and our weekend grail card, the 2022-23 Panini Origins Nucleus card which had already been signed by Parker and Duncan. His signature completed the card and put an exclamation point on a wonderful Hall of Fame weekend! Joshua also got a Manu rookie card signed and a lady that we had been sitting with got a Ginobili jersey signed. My guess is that Manu had seen us across the lobby for the past hour or two and appreciated that we had not gone over to interrupt their gathering.
Thank you, Manu!
In-Person Autograph Photos
In 2021, Manu signed my 2009-10 Panini Rookies and Stars card (above left) and in 2023 he signed my 2012-13 Panini Signatures Stars card (above right).
In 2023, Manu took photos with Joshua and me and eventually (see story above) signed the 2022-23 Panini Origins Nucleus card as well.