On June 15, 2003, Emanuel Ginóbili won his first NBA ring.
The best Argentine basketball player of all time became champion in his first NBA season after his team, the San Antonio Spurs, defeated the New Jersey Nets in the sixth game of the finals.
Manu Ginóbili began his professional career in 1995. He played three seasons in the National Basketball League, one with Club Andino de La Rioja and two with Estudiantes from Bahía Blanca, his hometown, before moving on to Italian basketball.
During his early years in Italy, Ginóbili was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Draft.
The Argentine was chosen in the second round of the selection process of the American basketball league in 57th place, however he made the decision to stay in the Italian league to join the ranks of Virtus Bologna.
In Bologna Manu Ginóbili established himself as one of the best players in Europe, consecrating himself a champion both locally and internationally.
The outstanding performance in the historic second place that the Argentine National Team canceled in the 2002 Indianapolis World Cup, the genesis of the Golden Generation, was Ginóbili’s previous step for his inexorable arrival in the NBA.
On October 29, 2002, Manu played his first NBA game against the San Antonio Spurs and against the Los Angeles Lakers, registering seven points, two rebounds and three assists.
Despite being considered a “rookie”, converted as a rookie, the Argentine appeared in the American league at the age of 25 and established himself as a European basketball star.
Ginóbili had difficulties adjusting to the team, including an injury that sidelined him during the start of the regular season, but he ended up being part of coach Greg Popovich’s rotation for the Playoffs, where he added minutes in every game.
San Antonio began the title race with a victory over Minnesota and then prevailed over the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that with the Shaquille O’Neal – Kobe Bryant duo was the current three-time NBA champion
In the conference finals they beat the Dallas Maveriks, where Ginobili had his first big performance scoring 21 points in the fourth game.
San Antonio played the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, Manu played all six games averaging 28.5 minutes per game.
On June 15, 2003, the Spurs prevailed in the sixth game and won the series 4-2. Manu Ginóbili played 33 minutes with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.
San Antonio got its second championship in the NBA while Ginóbili became the first Argentine to wear the championship ring.
It would be the first of the four NBA titles that Manu Ginóbili would achieve, whose spectacular career in the competition earned him admission to the Hall of Fame and the retirement of his jersey in San Antonio Spurs.
On June 15, 2003, Emanuel Ginóbili won his first NBA ring. The story is also news on Radio Perfil. Voiceover by Pita Fortín and script by Nicolás Ziccardi.
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