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Emanuel David Ginóbili, better known as '''Manu Ginóbili''', (born 28 July 1977 in Bahía Blanca , Argentina ), 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). Ginóbili 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 Ginóbili 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 with the Texas side as well as being named an All-Star once. With the national team, Ginóbili has also enjoyed success. He made his début 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, Ginóbili is also the only basketball player ever to win a Euroleague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. FAMILY AND PERSONAL LIFE Ginóbili comes from a family of basketball players. His older brothers Sebastián and Leandro have played professionally in Argentina and Spain respectively, while their father Jorge was a coach at a club in 2007 . Like many Argentines, Ginóbili is a descendant of 2007 , accessed 17 June 2007 . As a result of his travels, he can speak Spanish , Italian and English fluently. In his free time, Ginóbili enjoys surfing the internet, listening to Latin Music , watching movies and relaxing with his friends. In 2004, he married Many Orono. PROFESSIONAL CAREER Argentine and Italian years Ginóbili made his professional début in the 2007 . However, he did not sign with the Spurs at this point in time. Instead, he returned to Italy to play for Kinder Bologna , which he helped win the 2001 Italian Championship, the 2001 and 2002 Italian Cups, and the 2001 Euroleague , where he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also named League MVP in 2000–01 and 2001–02, and made the Italian league's All-Star game three times during this period. San Antonio Spurs .]] It was not until after the 2007 . The Spurs then entered The Playoffs eager to upset favorites Los Angeles Lakers , and this was when Ginóbili rose to prominence. In contrast to his regular season, Ginóbili became an integral part of 2007 . and in those games his 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 , securing San Antonio's second ever championship. After the win, Ginóbili was named Argentina's top sportsman in the country's main newspaper, Clarín , and even met Argentine president Néstor Kirchner . A gym in Bahía Blanca was dedicated in Ginóbili's honor as well. following the 2003 NBA Finals .]] In the 2007 . 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. After some issues with San Antonio over his contract, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs and he started in every game in the 2005 , accessed 17 June 2007 . Ginóbili recorded career-highs in his playoff numbers, most notably 20.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg, and had the third highest point total in the entire playoffs. In the NBA Finals MVP Award voting, the shooting guard was a candidate but was edged out by teammate and captain Tim Duncan . The former finished the 2004-05 season as the second leading scorer on the team. .]] The 2007 , accessed 17 June 2007 . NBA CAREER STATISTICS Correct as of 15 June, 2007 ARGENTINE NATIONAL TEAM }} Ginóbili is a member of the 2004 , accessed 17 June 2007 . PLAYER PROFILE
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