Manu Ginóbili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili (English: /ˈmænuː dʒɪˈnoʊbli/ MAN-oo jin-OH-blee,[3] Spanish: [ˈmanu ʝiˈnoβili];[4] born 28 July 1977[5]) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Credited for popularizing the Euro step move in the NBA,[6][7] he is regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards and sixth men in the league's history and as the greatest Latin American player of all time.[17] Ginóbili notably led Argentina to a gold medal-winning the FIBA Olympics MVP award in Athens 2004, and achieving with his team the only elimination of a US NBA team in the history of this competition. Over a 23-year professional career, Ginóbili became one of only two players (along with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Bradley) to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.[18] A four-time NBA champion, Ginóbili was a member of the San Antonio Spurs for his entire 16-year NBA career. Along with Spurs teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, Ginóbili was known as one of the "Big Three" during the Spurs' era of success. During their playing years together, the Spurs became a "model franchise" for other NBA teams. Since September 2021, Ginóbili had been appointed as special advisor to basketball operations for the Spurs.
Ginóbili comes from a family of professional basketball players. He spent the early part of his career in Argentina and Italy, winning several individual and team honors. Ginóbili's stint with Italian club Kinder Bologna was particularly successful as he won two Italian League MVP awards, the EuroLeague Finals MVP, and the 2001 EuroLeague championship and Triple Crown.
Selected as the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Ginóbili joined the Spurs in 2002 and soon became a key player for the team. In addition to his four NBA championships, Ginóbili was named an All-Star in 2005 and 2011 and was selected twice for the All-NBA Third Team. In 2007–08, he was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Ginóbili announced his retirement from the NBA in August 2018. In April 2022, he was announced as a first ballot inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[19]
Family and personal life
[edit]Ginóbili comes from a family of basketball players. His oldest brother, Leandro, retired in 2003 after seven years in the Argentine basketball league, while brother Sebastián has played in both the Argentine local league and in the Spanish 2nd-tier level Liga Española de Baloncesto. Their father, Jorge, was a coach at a club in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, where Ginóbili learned to play the game.[20] Given the proliferation of basketball clubs in Bahía Blanca and his idolization of Michael Jordan, Ginóbili's love for basketball grew rapidly.[21]
Ginóbili has dual citizenship in Argentina and Italy,[22] thanks to his Marchesan descent.[23] He speaks Italian and English fluently in addition to his native Spanish. In his free time, Ginóbili enjoys listening to Latin music, watching movies, and traveling.[5] In 2004, he married fellow Argentine Marianela Oroño.[24] On 16 May 2010, his wife gave birth to twin boys, Dante and Nicola.[25] On 21 April 2014, she gave birth to their third son, Luca.[26][27]
In the immediate aftermath of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina in 2010, Ginóbili expressed his support for the bill, and added that while supportive of same-sex marriage, Ginóbili did not "consider himself qualified" to speak about same-sex adoption. He said that he would prefer to see a child being raised by two men or two women rather than to see that child in an orphanage.[28] In March 2020, Ginóbili also expressed support for gay people playing basketball and expressed hope that the issue of sexual orientation will no longer be important soon.[29] A documentary based on his life was directed by Rodolfo Lamboglia.[30]
Professional career
[edit]Andino (1995–1996)
[edit]Ginóbili made his professional debut in the Argentine basketball league for the Andino Sport Club of La Rioja in the 1995–96 season.
Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca (1996–1998)
[edit]Ginóbili was traded to Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca in 1996.[5] He played with his hometown team until 1998.
Viola Reggio Calabria (1998–2000)
[edit]Ginóbili went to Europe to spend the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons with Italian team Basket Viola Reggio Calabria.[5] In 1999, he teamed with Brent Scott, Brian Oliver and Sydney Johnson to earn promotion from the Italian 2nd Division to the Italian 1st Division.[31]
Virtus Bologna (2000–2002)
[edit]Ginóbili then entered the 1999 NBA draft and the San Antonio Spurs selected him late in the second round with the 57th overall pick.[32] However, Ginóbili did not sign with the Spurs at this point. Instead, he returned to Italy to play for Kinder Bologna, whom he helped win the 2001 Italian League Championship, the 2001 and 2002 Italian Cups, and the 2001 EuroLeague. In the lattermost, Ginóbili was named the 2001 EuroLeague's Finals MVP.[5] He was also named the Italian League MVP in 2000–01 and 2001–02, and made the Italian League's All-Star Game three times during this period.[5]
While playing with the Argentina national team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Ginóbili made the All-Tournament Team, alongside future NBA star Yao Ming and established NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojaković,[33] and helped lead Argentina to a second-place finish.[5]
San Antonio Spurs (2002–2018)
[edit]Early NBA career and first championship (2002–2004)
[edit]Ginóbili joined the Spurs for the 2002–03 NBA season, where he played backup for veteran guard Steve Smith.[21] Ginóbili spent much of the early season injured, and found it hard to adjust to the NBA's style of play. As his injury improved, so did Ginóbili, winning the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in March, and being named to the All-Rookie Second Team at the end of the season.[5] Still, he only started in five games as the Spurs chalked up a 60–22 regular season win–loss record.[34][35] The Spurs then entered the playoffs eager to upend the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, at which point Ginóbili rose to prominence.
I told Timmy, 'This guy is coming, and nobody in the U.S. knows how good he is.' And Timmy gave me that whole raised eyebrow thing he does.
In contrast to his regular season, Ginóbili became an integral part of Gregg Popovich's rotation in the playoffs, playing in every game.[5] The Spurs eliminated Phoenix and Los Angeles[37] and in those games, Ginóbili'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 Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals and then the New Jersey Nets in the Finals,[37] securing San Antonio's second championship. After the win, Ginóbili won his first Olimpia de Oro ("Golden Olympia") as Argentina's sportsperson of the year,[38] and met Argentine president Néstor Kirchner.[21] A gym in Bahía Blanca was also dedicated in Ginóbili's honor.[21]
In the 2003–04 season, the Spurs began featuring Ginóbili more prominently, starting him in half of the 77 regular season games in which he played.[34] Ginóbili's statistics improved in all major categories, as he averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.[34] During the 2004 playoffs, the Spurs lost again to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Following Game 5 where Derek Fisher scored a buzzer-beating jump shot,[39] the Spurs lost Game 6 and the series 4–2.[40] While Ginóbili did not start in a single playoff game as he did in 2003, his playoff statistics improved significantly, with 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.[34]
Peak years: second and third championships (2004–2011)
[edit]After some initial issues with San Antonio over his contract, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs and started every game during the 2004–05 season.[34] This was his best season yet as he was selected as a reserve by NBA coaches to the 2005 Western Conference All-Star team, marking his debut in the elite mid-season showcase.[5] During the playoffs, Ginóbili's play was pivotal to winning San Antonio's third championship. The Spurs first defeated Phoenix 4–1 in the Conference Finals,[41] before prevailing in a very defense-oriented seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons.[42] Ginóbili recorded career-highs in his playoff numbers, most notably 20.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg,[34] and had the third-highest point total in the entire playoffs.[5] In the NBA Finals MVP Award voting, the shooting guard was a candidate but was edged out by teammate and captain Tim Duncan.[43][21] The former finished the 2004–05 season as the second-leading scorer on the team.[5] During the season, Ginóbili became only the fourth person to win consecutive Olimpias de Oro, this time sharing the award with soccer star Carlos Tevez.[38]
The 2005–06 season was an injury-plagued one for Ginóbili, who suffered foot and ankle injuries that hindered his ability to play. Ginóbili managed 65 games in the regular season, but saw a dip in major statistics as compared to the previous season.[34] During the playoffs, he returned to form, but was unable to prevent the Spurs from being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Semifinals.[44]
In the 2006–07 season, the Spurs lacked energy from their reserves. Ginóbili came off the bench for most of the second half of the season, helping the Spurs attain the league's best record during that portion of the season. Ginóbili produced numbers closely identical to his successful 2004–05 campaign despite starting in only 36 of 75 games, his second-lowest number of starts since arriving at San Antonio.[34] The 2007 NBA Playoffs saw him help the Spurs to defeat the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz; the team then swept the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ginobili's third and San Antonio's fourth championship.[45]
Ginóbili was to play an even bigger role for the Spurs the following season, reaching career high averages in points, rebounds, assists, and three-point field goal percentage.[34] On 11 February 2008, he scored 34 points and recorded 15 rebounds in a 93–88 win over the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first guard in Spurs' history to have at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a game.[46][47] On 21 April 2008, the NBA announced that Ginóbili had won the 2008 Sixth Man Award, winning 123 out of the 124 first place votes.[48][49] He had a statline of 19.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds on .460 shooting averaging 31.1 minutes. Only a couple of weeks later, the Argentine was also named to the All-NBA Third Team.[50] In the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Suns 4–1 in the first round,[51] and Ginóbili was moved to the starting lineup in the second round against the New Orleans Hornets after the Spurs lost the first two road games. San Antonio eventually prevailed in seven games, the Argentine played another strong series, leading the Spurs in points and assists per game (21.3 and 6.0 respectively).[52] However, San Antonio lost to arch-rivals Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference Finals in five games, and once again failed to capture back-to-back NBA championships.[53]
The following season, Ginóbili was injured for most of the campaign, managing only 44 regular-season games and missing the 2009 NBA Playoffs entirely. San Antonio qualified for the playoffs as the third seed with a 54–28 record,[54][55] but with an aging supporting cast (Bowen, Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas were all in their late 30s), the Spurs were only considered fringe contenders for the championship.[55] As it turned out, the strong play of Duncan and Tony Parker were not enough to help the Spurs avoid a 4–1 defeat by Dallas, and the Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000.[56]
On 31 October 2009, in a game against the Sacramento Kings, a bat descended onto the court at the AT&T Center, causing a stoppage of play. As the bat flew past, Ginóbili swatted the bat to the ground with his hand. He then carried the creature off the court, earning the applause of the crowd.[57] On 9 April 2010, the Spurs and Ginóbili agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension through the 2012–13 season.[58]
In 2010–11, Ginobili was regarded as the key player on his team,[59][60][61] and he finished eighth on the NBA MVP ballot following the season.[59] Ginobili was injured in the last game of the regular season. Despite the injury, he averaged 20.6 points and 4.2 assists during the team's first-round series against Memphis Grizzlies; however, the Spurs lost the series in six games. Ginóbili was named an NBA All-Star for the second time in his career and also was named to the All-NBA third team.[62]
Later career (2011–2018)
[edit]In the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, Ginóbili helped the Spurs go 50–16. The team advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated 4–2 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 5 of the series, Ginóbili scored 34 points.
In 2012–13, the Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals, where they faced the Miami Heat. In the Spurs' Game 5 victory, Ginóbili scored a season-high 24 points and helped his team take a 3–2 series lead. However, the Spurs went on to lose Games 6 and 7.
On 11 July 2013, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs on a two-year deal.[63] In 2013–14, the Spurs had a league-best 62–20 record. Ginóbili finished third in the voting for Sixth Man of the Year.[64] In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, the Big Three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili notched their 110th career playoff win, matching the number of playoff wins attained by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs reached the NBA Finals again, where they faced the Heat for the second consecutive year. This time, they dominated the series, winning 4–1 to claim that franchise's fifth championship; Ginóbili won his fourth championship as a Spur.[65]
On 20 July 2015, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs.[66] On 14 January 2016, in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, he played his 900th NBA game, all with the Spurs.[67] On 4 February, Ginóbili underwent surgery after suffering a testicular injury in the Spurs' win over the New Orleans Pelicans the previous night. He was subsequently sidelined for one month.[68] He returned to the action on 5 March after missing 12 games with the injury, scoring 22 points in 15 minutes against the Sacramento Kings.[69]
On 14 July 2016, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs.[70] On 9 November, in a loss to the Houston Rockets, Ginóbili became the 15th second-rounder to reach 13,000 points and joined Rashard Lewis as the only second round draft picks in NBA history with 13,000 career points and at least 1,300 three-pointers.[71]
In Game 5 of the 2017 Western Conference Semifinals against Houston, Ginóbili blocked James Harden's shot in the closing seconds to help San Antonio to a 110–107 victory.[72] In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against Golden State Warriors, Ginóbili became the first player at the age of 39 to score 20 or more points off the bench in a playoff game since the NBA began recording starts in the 1970–71 NBA season.[73]
On 24 August 2017, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs.[74] In January 2018, he became the only player in NBA history to have multiple 20-point games off the bench at age 40 or older.[75] Ginóbili also became the first player in his 40s to score 15-plus points in back-to-back games since Michael Jordan in 2002–03.[75] On 28 January against the Sacramento Kings, Ginóbili and Vince Carter scored 21 and 15 points respectively; it was the first game in NBA history where two players over the age of 40 scored 15 points or more.[76] On 29 March, in a 103–99 victory over the Thunder, Ginobili became the Spurs' career leader in steals, passing David Robinson (1,388) for the franchise record.[77] In Game 4 of the Spurs' first round playoff series against the Warriors, Ginóbili played in his 217th playoff game, breaking a tie with Shaquille O'Neal for sixth in league history. Ginóbili also passed Reggie Miller for third in career 3-pointers in playoff history.[78] The Spurs lost to the Warriors in five games.
Retirement
[edit]On 27 August 2018, Ginóbili announced his retirement from professional basketball,[79] making him the second player that season to complete a career with one team, after Nick Collison of the Oklahoma City Thunder.[80] On 28 March 2019, the Spurs retired Ginóbili's No. 20 jersey,[81] right next to the No. 21 jersey of Tim Duncan.
Career statistics
[edit]Source: Basketball Reference.[82]
NBA
[edit]GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
† | Won an NBA championship |
Regular season
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002–03† | San Antonio | 69 | 5 | 20.7 | .438 | .345 | .737 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.4 | .2 | 7.6 |
2003–04 | San Antonio | 77 | 38 | 29.4 | .418 | .359 | .802 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 1.8 | .2 | 12.8 |
2004–05† | San Antonio | 74 | 74 | 29.6 | .471 | .376 | .803 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 1.6 | .4 | 16.0 |
2005–06 | San Antonio | 65 | 56 | 27.9 | .462 | .382 | .778 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 1.6 | .4 | 15.1 |
2006–07† | San Antonio | 75 | 36 | 27.5 | .464 | .396 | .860 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 1.5 | .4 | 16.5 |
2007–08 | San Antonio | 74 | 23 | 31.0 | .460 | .401 | .860 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | .4 | 19.5 |
2008–09 | San Antonio | 44 | 7 | 26.8 | .454 | .330 | .884 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 1.5 | .4 | 15.5 |
2009–10 | San Antonio | 75 | 21 | 28.7 | .441 | .377 | .870 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 1.4 | .3 | 16.5 |
2010–11 | San Antonio | 80 | 79 | 30.3 | .433 | .349 | .871 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 1.5 | .4 | 17.4 |
2011–12 | San Antonio | 34 | 7 | 23.3 | .526 | .413 | .871 | 3.4 | 4.4 | .7 | .4 | 12.9 |
2012–13 | San Antonio | 60 | 0 | 23.2 | .425 | .353 | .796 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.3 | .2 | 11.8 |
2013–14† | San Antonio | 68 | 3 | 22.8 | .469 | .349 | .851 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 12.3 |
2014–15 | San Antonio | 70 | 0 | 22.7 | .426 | .345 | .721 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.5 |
2015–16 | San Antonio | 58 | 0 | 19.6 | .453 | .391 | .813 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.6 |
2016–17 | San Antonio | 69 | 0 | 18.7 | .390 | .392 | .804 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .2 | 7.5 |
2017–18 | San Antonio | 65 | 0 | 20.0 | .434 | .333 | .840 | 2.2 | 2.5 | .7 | .2 | 8.9 |
Career | 1,057 | 349 | 25.4 | .447 | .369 | .827 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 13.3 | |
All-Star | 2 | 0 | 21.0 | .385 | .000 | .833 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | .5 | 7.5 |
Playoffs
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003† | San Antonio | 24 | 0 | 27.5 | .386 | .384 | .757 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 1.7 | .4 | 9.4 |
2004 | San Antonio | 10 | 0 | 28.0 | .447 | .286 | .818 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 1.7 | .1 | 13.0 |
2005† | San Antonio | 23 | 15 | 33.6 | .507 | .438 | .795 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .3 | 20.8 |
2006 | San Antonio | 13 | 11 | 32.8 | .484 | .333 | .839 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 1.5 | .5 | 18.4 |
2007† | San Antonio | 20 | 0 | 30.1 | .401 | .384 | .836 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 1.7 | .2 | 16.7 |
2008 | San Antonio | 17 | 6 | 32.9 | .422 | .373 | .896 | 3.8 | 3.9 | .6 | .3 | 17.8 |
2010 | San Antonio | 10 | 10 | 35.2 | .414 | .333 | .866 | 3.7 | 6.0 | 2.6 | .2 | 19.4 |
2011 | San Antonio | 5 | 5 | 34.8 | .443 | .321 | .780 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.6 | .6 | 20.6 |
2012 | San Antonio | 14 | 2 | 27.9 | .448 | .338 | .857 | 3.5 | 4.0 | .7 | .3 | 14.4 |
2013 | San Antonio | 21 | 3 | 26.7 | .399 | .302 | .738 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 1.1 | .3 | 11.5 |
2014† | San Antonio | 23 | 0 | 25.5 | .439 | .390 | .862 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 1.6 | .1 | 14.3 |
2015 | San Antonio | 7 | 0 | 18.7 | .349 | .364 | .783 | 3.4 | 4.6 | .6 | .9 | 8.0 |
2016 | San Antonio | 10 | 0 | 19.2 | .426 | .429 | .783 | 2.7 | 2.5 | .8 | .3 | 6.7 |
2017 | San Antonio | 16 | 1 | 17.8 | .412 | .225 | .739 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .1 | 6.6 |
2018 | San Antonio | 5 | 0 | 21.4 | .405 | .333 | .818 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 1.4 | .2 | 9.0 |
Career | 218 | 53 | 27.9 | .433 | .358 | .817 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 14.0 |
EuroLeague
[edit]GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01† | Kinder Bologna | 22 | 20 | 29.7 | .445 | .291 | .778 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 2.9 | .3 | 15.2 | 15.9 |
2001–02 | Kinder Bologna | 22 | 22 | 28.4 | .450 | .340 | .778 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.5* | .3 | 15.9 | 17.1 |
Career | 44 | 42 | 29.1 | .448 | .315 | .778 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 2.7 | .3 | 15.5 | 16.5 |
Post-playing career
[edit]On 24 September 2021, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they had appointed Ginóbili as special advisor to basketball operations.[83]
On 10 September 2022, Ginóbili became the 12th player to have played for the San Antonio Spurs franchise to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[84][85] However, he is one of only four Spurs players to be inducted who played exclusively for San Antonio for their entire NBA career the others being fellow 2022 inductee George Karl, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Former teammate Tim Duncan presented Ginóbili at the ceremony. Ginóbili joins fellow 2022 inductee George Karl as being one of only five players of the twelve elected to the Hall of Fame to play five or more seasons with the Spurs, the others being George Gervin, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson.[86]
National team career
[edit]Ginóbili was a core member of a hugely successful Argentina national basketball team, which is sometimes referred to as the Golden Generation.
Junior national team
[edit]Ginóbili played with the junior Argentina national team at the 1997 FIBA Under-21 World Championship, where his team finished in 4th place.[87]
Senior national team
[edit]Ginóbili was a member of the senior Argentina national basketball team, and made his senior debut during the 1998 FIBA World Championship in Athens.[5] He also played at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, where he won a silver medal. Ginóbili's best accomplishment as a member of the national team came at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics when he led Argentina to a gold medal as they became the first team other than Team USA to emerge as the competition's winner in 16 years. The highlight of the tournament was his game-winning buzzer beater with 0.7 seconds remaining, on the opening day of the Olympics, in a game versus Serbia and Montenegro.[88] Ginóbili led the team in both scoring (19.3 points per game) and assists (3.3 assists per game).[89]
Ginóbili played with Argentina at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where his team finished in 4th place. Ginóbili was the flag bearer for Argentina at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was held in Beijing, China. At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics basketball tournament, Argentina defeated Lithuania to win the bronze medal game, although the shooting guard did not play in that match, after sustaining an injury in the tournament's semifinals.[90] In April 2010, Ginóbili announced that he would not participate in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, due to family reasons.[91] However, he competed for the team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, where Argentina narrowly missed out on winning the bronze medal, in the bronze medal game versus Russia.[92] Ginóbili played his last international games at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, where Argentina finished in 8th place.
Player profile
[edit]Ginóbili was listed as 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) in shoes, weighed 205 lb (93 kg), and played left-handed. He established himself as a star shooting guard[5] and became known as one of the greatest sixth men in NBA history.[93][94][95] Ginóbili was a relatively late bloomer, entering the NBA at age 25 in a period when entering the NBA as a teenager was very common. He was known as a reliable and versatile backcourt player.[21]
Apart from his up-tempo and aggressive style, Ginóbili was known for his clutch play.[20][96] Ginóbili's go-to move was either a three-pointer or a fierce drive to the basket. He often lowered his head when driving to the basket to collapse defenses and create shots or passes to his teammates. Ginobili popularized the Euro step in the NBA, although he was not the first to use the move in the league.[97]
Ginobili was known as a team player. He accepted the Spurs coaches' decision to bring him off the bench for most of his career.[36] He was also known for his difficult-to-defend passes, including the no-look pass.[36] Ginobili was also willing to draw charges on defense.[20] In 2007, he was listed by ESPN writer Thomas Neumann at No. 6 on the list of greatest floppers in NBA history.[98] Five years later, Ian Thomsen, a Sports Illustrated columnist, grouped Ginóbili with fellow European league players Anderson Varejão and Vlade Divac as the players who "made [flopping] famous", by exaggerating contact on the court in a manner analogous to diving in soccer games.[99]
He has a willingness to do what it takes to win, and to do it at the highest possible level of intensity, every single minute he steps on the court.
Having traversed the major basketball continents during his career, Ginóbili is one of the few players who enjoyed success under both the physical, one-on-one play of the NBA and the more technical, jump-shooting rule set of FIBA. He is one of only two players in basketball history (along with Bill Bradley) to win the EuroLeague,[100] an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship ring.[32][101] Ginóbili is also the first non-U.S. player to win both the NBA championship ring and the Olympic gold medal, and the second Latin American to be selected to play in an NBA All-Star game (after Panama's Rolando Blackman).[101] The Spurs made the NBA playoffs in each of his 16 NBA seasons.[102]
In 2007, ESPN sportswriter John Hollinger ranked Ginóbili as the sixth-best international player then active in the NBA, describing Ginobili as "one of the great draft heists of all time" and attributing the trend of NBA teams drafting developing European players to the success of the Argentine.[22] The following year, Ginóbili was named by ESPN as one of the best EuroLeague players to have graced the NBA.[103]
Honours
[edit]
Awards
|
Titles
Personal honours
|
- Notes
- ^ The 2004 award was shared with footballer Carlos Tevez, Olympic champion that year.[105]
- ^ The most important sportsman of the decade in Argentina.[106]
See also
[edit]- List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders
- List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise
- List of oldest and youngest NBA players
References
[edit]- ^ a b CABB anuncia el retiro de las camisetas de Ginóbili y Nocioni Archived 29 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine by Germán Beder on CABB website, 29 July 2017
- ^ FIBA Web page: https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/cid/WOLYM/sid/3183/_/2004_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/history.html Archived 22 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "International NBA Players - Pronunciation Guide". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ Entrevista a Manu Ginóbili en Unidos por Argentina. YouTube (in Spanish). Televisión Pública. 5 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Manu Ginoboli Info Page – Bio Archived 24 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ "How Manu Ginobili Changed the NBA With His Euro Step". Sportscasting.com. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "How Manu Ginobili brought the Eurostep to the NBA". www.poundingtherock.com/. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ "The Best South American NBA Players Of All Time". Ranker. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ raoff, usamaa (15 July 2022). "Best NBA players from South America". SportsUnfold. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ Bailey, Andy. "Best Latin American Players in NBA History". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ "Greatest Basketball Players From South America – Latest Basketball News". Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ HoopSocial (12 May 2023). "Who are the Greatest NBA Players from South America?". hoop-social.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ Staff, TalkBasket (11 February 2022). "Best Latin American Basketball Players in NBA History". TalkBasket.net. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ Bailey, Andy. "NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Shooting Guards". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "20 greatest shooting guards ever: The HoopsHype list". hoopshype.com. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Andy (18 June 2024). "Ranking the Top 50 NBA Playoff Performers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
- ^ Gancedo, Javier (23 April 2013). "An Oxford scholar turned European champion". EuroLeague.net. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
He was the first player to win the Euroleague, Olympics and NBA titles - something that only Manu Ginobili has managed to achieve after him.
- ^ "Manu Ginobili, Lindsay Whalen, Swin Cash, Tim Hardaway among 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees". 2 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Ludden, Johnny, "Mover and shaker: Motor always has been running for Spurs' Ginobili" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mysanantonio.com, 11 June 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f "Manu Ginobili – Bio". Jockbio.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- ^ a b Hollinger, John, "The 30 best international players in the NBA", sports.espn.com, 27 April 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ "Nba: San Antonio, le "Nazioni Unite" che spaventano LeBron". repubblica.it. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ Manu Ginobili, Spurs Guard Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Sports Illustrated, 30 May 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- ^ New father Ginobili welcomes twin boys Archived 20 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine, NBA.com, 17 May 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ Dominguez, Raul (21 April 2014). "Ginobili welcome baby boy during playoff break". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ Ibanez, David (21 April 2014). "Manu Ginobili, wife welcome third baby". KSAT.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ "Ginóbili: será duro ver Mundial de afuera" [Ginobili: it will be hard to see the World Cup from outside] (in Spanish). ESPN. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "El mensaje de Ginóbili a Sebastián Vega, el basquetbolista que se declaró gay" [Ginobili's message to Sebastián Vega, the basketball player who declared himself gay] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Se viene la serie sobre Manu Ginóbili". 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ Tomlinson, Brett (21 November 2007). "The Captain Returns: Basketball's Sydney Johnson '97 has been 'a coach all along'". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ a b Manu Ginobili, Argentina Archived 2 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, interbasket.net. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ FIBA World Basketball Championships Archived 13 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine, insidehoops.com. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Manu Ginobili Info Page – Career Stats and Totals Archived 20 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ^ 2002–03 Standings Archived 23 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com/history. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ^ a b c Lowe, Zach (11 August 2016). "Welcome to Manu's familia". ESPN. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ a b 2003 Playoff Results Archived 23 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com/history. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ^ a b Agencia Diarios y Noticias, "Todos los ganadores de los Olimpia de Oro" (Spanish)[permanent dead link ], ar.news.yahoo.com, 17 December 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
- ^ Fisher's Jumper Gives Lakers Dramatic Game 5 Win Archived 10 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 13 May 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ^ At a Glance Archived 7 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ At a Glance Archived 24 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ Spurs Dethrone Pistons To Take Third NBA Title Archived 19 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 23 June 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ "In the 2005 NBA Finals Ginobili was second in the race for Finals MVP. Tim Duncan got just one more vote but everybody thinks Ginobili should have gotten that award." http://www.thebasketballworld.com/top_players/manu_ginobili.htm Archived 11 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ At a Glance Archived 27 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ Parker, Spurs Close Out Cavs for Fourth Title Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine nba.com, 15 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ "San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors Box Score, February 11, 2008". Basketball-Reference.com. 11 February 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Aldridge, Murray power Spurs past Raptors, 101-97". ESPN.com. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "2007-08 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Ginobili Wins 2007–08 Sixth Man of the Year Award presented by Kia Motors Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 21 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
- ^ MVP Kobe Bryant Highlights All-NBA First Team Archived 11 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 8 May 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- ^ Spurs KO Rattled Suns to Close Out Series Archived 30 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 30 April 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ Spurs Saddle Hornets in Seven Archived 22 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 19 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
- ^ Bryant Leads Lakers past Spurs, into NBA Finals Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 29 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
- ^ 2008–09 NBA Season Summary Archived 4 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
- ^ a b Hollinger, John, PER Diem: 17 April 2009, sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- ^ Weber, Paul, "Mavericks oust Spurs from playoffs with 106–93 win" Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 29 April 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- ^ "Spurs' Ginobili has rabies shot after catching bat". NBA.com. 3 November 2009. Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ "Spurs' Ginobili signs 3-year extension". ESPN. 9 April 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Spurs". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Miller, Kevin. "Manu Ginobili: The Best Player On the League's Best Team...Deserves MVP". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Dubinski, Marilyn. "San Antonio Spurs: 10 Reasons Manu Ginobili Deserves to Be in the MVP Discussion". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Manu Ginobili Named To All-NBA Third Team". NBA.com. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ "Spurs Re-Sign Manu Ginobili". NBA.com. 11 July 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ "Clippers' Crawford wins 2013-14 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award". NBA.com. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ "San Antonio Spurs History: 4 times Manu Ginobili shocked the world". Air Alamo. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Spurs Re-Sign Manu Ginobli". NBA.com. 20 July 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Spurs beat Cavaliers 99-95 for 32nd straight win at home". NBA.com. 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ "SPURS INJURY UPDATE – 2/4/16". NBA.com. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Spurs, missing 3 starters, improve to 30-0 at home". NBA.com. 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ^ "SPURS RE-SIGN MANU GINOBILI". NBA.com. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ "Harden's triple-double leads Rockets past Spurs, 101-99". ESPN.com. 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Wire, SI. "Watch: Ginobili makes game-saving block on Harden". SI.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ Wright, Michael C. (23 May 2017). "Manu Ginobili: 'Whatever I decide to do, I'll be a happy camper'". ESPN. Archived from the original on 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "SPURS RE-SIGN MANU GINOBILI". NBA.com. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Manu Ginobili, 40, makes history with back-to-back 20-point outings off bench". ESPN.com. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ Vejar, Alex (29 January 2018). "Spurs-Kings was the first game in NBA history in which two 40-year-olds scored 15+ points". clutchpoints.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "Aldridge's double-double moves Spurs past Thunder, 103-99". ESPN.com. 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Ginobili, Aldridge help Spurs beat Warriors to avoid sweep". ESPN.com. 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ Schad, Matt (27 August 2018). "Manu Ginobili announces retirement". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ Gallo, Nick (10 May 2018). "Seeing Off a True Pro – Thunder Fan Favorite Nick Collison Retires". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ Wright, Michael C. (29 March 2019). "Spurs retire Ginobili jersey in emotional ceremony". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ "Manu Ginóbili Stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Spurs announce basketball operations staff additions & promotions". NBA.com. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famers". Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022..
- ^ "Manu Ginóbili, Tim Hardaway inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Report: Spurs great Manu Ginobili one of at least five elected to Hall of Fame". April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ "archive.fiba.com: Players". Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ Ginobili Lifts Argentina at Buzzer Archived 16 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, 16 August 2004. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ Olympic Basketball – 2004 Olympics Archived 26 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, insidehoops.com, 29 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
- ^ Delfino scores 20, drives Argentina past Lithuania, sports.espn.go.com, 24 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ ARG – Manu and twin sons will cheer on Argentina from San Antonio Archived 26 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, FIBA.com, 23 April 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "London 2012 – Men's Basketball". www.olympic.org. IOC. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Callas, Brad (12 January 2018). "The Ten Greatest Sixth Men in NBA History". Medium. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Ravida, Matt. "NBA Power Rankings: The 10 Best 6th Man Award Winners". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Heat Check: Is Manu Ginobili the greatest sixth man ever?". NBA.com Canada | The official site of the NBA. 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Kamla, Rick, "Living the Playoffs: Manu to the Rescue" Archived 29 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com, 9 May 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ Abrams, Jonathan (17 November 2010). "An N.B.A. Move That Crossed an Ocean". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- ^ Neumann, Thomas, "The greatest floppers in NBA history", 7 June 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- ^ Thomsen, Ian (28 September 2012). "NBA's new flopping policy the best response to a difficult problem". Sports Illustrated. cnn.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
The ugly trend of faking physical contact began in soccer, a sport in which gamesmanship has given way to players writhing in false agony around the world. Soccer has been unable to fix its problem, but now the NBA will have an opportunity to deter players from trying to simulate violent contact in ways made famous by Vlade Divac, Manu Ginobili and Anderson Varejão.
- ^ In Bradley's era, top European club teams competed for the FIBA European Champions Cup; the name "EuroLeague" was not used in Bradley's day, though it was later used by the competition's organizer, FIBA Europe. The term "EuroLeague" was never trademarked by FIBA Europe, enabling Euroleague Basketball to register it for its rival competition, which was launched in 2000–01; Euroleague Basketball and FIBA Europe unified the two competitions under the EuroLeague banner the following season. Euroleague Basketball recognizes the FIBA European Champions Cup as part of the EuroLeague's history, and considers Champions Cup titles fully equivalent to EuroLeague titles.
- ^ a b "Emanuel Ginobili" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Para Tí magazine (in Spanish)
- ^ "Whose NBA career is better? Pau Gasol vs. Manu Ginobili". sports.yahoo.com. 26 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Whittel, Ian, Best of the Euroleague and NBA: Manu Ginobili, sports.espn.go.com, 2 May 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
- ^ FIBA Web page https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/cid/WOLYM/sid/3183/_/2004_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/history.html Archived 22 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Los ganadores de los Olimpia de Oro a lo largo de la historia Archived 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine on Aires de Santa Fe, 15 Dec 2019
- ^ Premio Konex de Brillante 2010: Deportes Archived 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine on Fundación Konex
- ^ San Antonio Spurs retire Manu Ginóbili's jersey in emotional ceremony Archived 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine at the Buenos Aires Times, 29 Mar 2019
- ^ San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili’s jersey retirement set for March Archived 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine By Dylan Carter, 31 Oct 2018
External links
[edit]- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 10 March 2020)
- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Manu Ginóbili at fiba.com
- Manu Ginóbili at euroleague.net
- Manu Ginóbili at legabasket.it (in Italian)
- Manu Ginóbili at Olympedia (archive)
- Manu Ginóbili at Olympics.com
- 1977 births
- Living people
- 1998 FIBA World Championship players
- 2002 FIBA World Championship players
- 2006 FIBA World Championship players
- Argentine expatriate basketball people in Italy
- Argentine expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Argentine men's basketball players
- Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent
- Basketball players at the 1999 Pan American Games
- Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca basketball players
- Italian men's basketball players
- Lega Basket Serie A players
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Naturalised citizens of Italy
- NBA All-Stars
- NBA championship–winning players
- NBA players from Argentina
- NBA players with retired numbers
- Olympic basketball players for Argentina
- Olympic bronze medalists for Argentina
- Olympic gold medalists for Argentina
- Olympic medalists in basketball
- Pan American Games competitors for Argentina
- San Antonio Spurs draft picks
- San Antonio Spurs players
- Shooting guards
- Sportspeople from Bahía Blanca
- Viola Reggio Calabria players
- Virtus Bologna players
- 20th-century Italian sportsmen