Manu Ginobili

Topics: Argentine basketball players, Italian-Argentines, Olympic basketball players of Argentina, Olympic gold medalists for Argentina

Emanuel David Ginobili, better known as Manu Ginobili, , is an Argentine basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketballers, he is a member of the Argentine national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Ginobili spent the early half of his basketball career in Argentina and Italy, where he won several individual and team honors. His stint with Italian side Kinder Bologna was particularly productive, earning two Lega A Most Valuable Player awards, one Euroleague MVP award and the 2001 League Championship. The San Antonio Spurs drafted the shooting guard as the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, but Ginobili returned to Italy and only joined the Spurs in 2002. He did not take long to establish himself as a key player for the Spurs, and has since won three NBA championships as well as being named an All-Star once.

With the national team, Ginobili has also enjoyed success. He made his debut in 1998, and was a member of the team which won the gold medal during the 2004 Olympics. Hailed as one of the finest Europe-based players to grace the NBA with his high-tempo and intensive game, Ginobili is also the only basketball player ever to win a Euroleague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.