The Competition: Manu Ginobili

In 2004, Manu Ginobili became an icon by leading Argentina to their first basketball gold medal. Can he do it again four years later?

It all goes back to Bahia Blanca, Argentina. That’s where Emanuel Ginobili first learned the game, starting on his quest to become his country’s greatest basketball player of all time.

Basketball was all around Manu from an early age. His father was a coach, and his brothers played in the pros. With such tough competition under one roof, Manu developed quickly and earned a spot with his local ball club. After a few years there, he headed to Europe to improve his game against tougher international competition.

In Italy, he quickly proved himself one of the top players in Europe. His deadly outside shot, combined with a fearless first step, made him almost impossible to guard. He drove the lane with abandon and backed down from no one.

San Antonio was so impressed by what they saw that they drafted him in 1999. But he had other things to do first; only after three more seasons in Europe, the 2001 Italian Championship, two Italian Cups, three All-Star appearances and the Italian and Euroleague MVP awards, did he finally join the Spurs.

Once in San Antonio, he quickly developed a reputation in the NBA as a clutch player. In the 2003 Playoffs, his work off the bench helped the Spurs win the championship. And the 2004-05 season gave him another opportunity to catch fire, where he earned an All-Star slot and went on to average 20.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the postseason. After two more NBA championships in 2005 and 2007, he was awarded the 6th Man of the Year title in 2008.

But of all his awards and titles, none rallied his people as much as the gold medal he won in Athens. It was during the 2004 Summer Games that he cemented his place in the hearts of Argentineans. On opening day of the Games, Manu lit up the tournament by hitting a buzzer beater to defeat Serbia, and the crowd went wild.

But it wasn’t until Argentina faced Team USA in the semifinals that he truly shone, where the world saw him produce one of his finest games on any stage. Behind by 29 points, Argentina came back to defeat the Americans 89-81 in an epic encounter, giving Team USA their third loss in history. Days later, Manu and his team defeated Italy, giving them the gold. The tournament was not only Argentina’s finest achievement, it was Manu’s as well; he scored over 19 points a game and walked away with the MVP award.

Almost overnight, Manu had become a national hero, eager to return to the place it all began.

"I want to cry and at the same time I want to laugh. I can't wait to go back to Argentina and see the joy on the face of our people," said Ginobili.

The 2008 Summer Games in Beijing will be a tougher challenge for Argentina. No longer the underdog, every strong team is out to dethrone the champs – Team USA especially. In Beijing, Manu will face some of his greatest American rivals, all out for blood. But he and his fellow Argentineans are ready to fight, to prove that their win was no fluke, and to do it all again in 2008.

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