Manu Ginobili

Born on July 28, 1977, Manu David Ginobili is a former professional basketball player from Argentina. He played in the NBA professional league and represented the San Antonio Spurs throughout his entire career. Manu is one of only two players (the other being Bill Bradley) who have won an NBA title, a EuroLeague title, and an Olympic medal. He was a member of the NBA franchise San Antonio Spurs throughout his career. Ginobili was also known as one of the ‘Big Three’ along with Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. He started his NBA career in 2002 and won four NBA championships in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.

Early Life

Emanual David Ginobili born on July 28, 1977 in Bahia, Blanca, Argentina. His mother’s name is Raquel and his father is Jorge Ginobili. Manu belongs to a family of basketball players. Ginobili’s oldest brother also had played for 7 years in the Argentine Basketball League and retired in 2003. His brother Sebastian played in both the Spanish 2nd-teir level Lega Espanola de Baloncesto and the Argentine local league. Manu often joined his brothers and father to practice the game. Then he started watching the NBA league matches and became a fan of Michael Jordan.

In his childhood, Manu Ginobili used to play with his best friend Pepe Sanchez. Pepe went on to participate in Argentina's junior national team. Manu made his professional debut when he represented the Andino Sport Club in the Argentina basketball league. Ginobili was then only 18.

NBA Journey

Manu Ginobili represented the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA league throughout his career. He joined the side for the first time in 2002 and played backup for veteran guard Steve Smith. Then Manu went on to fight with some injuries most of his time. After improving his game skills, Ginobili won the Western Conference, Rookie of the Month, in March. This was the time when Manu Ginobili started to raise his prominence in the professional basketball world. He helped his side to go past the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals and then the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals in 2003.

In the 2003-04 season, Ginobili continued with his intense performance and participated in 77 games. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals each game. During the 2004-05 season, Manu had some contract issues with the Spurs and he re-signed with the side for the season. It proved to be his best season ever and he was selected as a Western Conference All-Star Team. Manu helped the Spurs to acquire its third NBA title. Manu Ginobili showed wonderful skills again in the 2006-07 season and helped his team to defeat the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. Later, they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final to mark the franchise’s 4th NBA title.

In 2010, Manu Ginobili agreed with the Spurs over a US$39 million (three-year) contract. He was regarded as a key player for his team in 2010-11 and he finished 8th on the NBA MVP ballot. In the 2013-14 season, the San Antonio Spurs entered the NBA Finals again to face the Heat for the second year consecutively. This time the Spurs curbed the opposition to clinch their fifth NBA championship. It was Manu Ginobili’s 4th NBA title as a Spur.

Manu Ginobili re-signed with his current franchise on July 20, 2015. He completed 900 NBA games as a Spur when he appeared in a game against the Cavaliers on January 14, 2016. Manu renewed his contract with the Spurs again on July 14, 2016. He became the 15th second-rounder to reach 13,000 points on November 9, 2016. In January 2018, Manu became the sole player to collect multiple 20-point games off the bench at age 40 or older. Meanwhile, Ginobili also became the first player in his 40s to register 15+ points in consecutive games.

In a contest against the Sacramento Kings, Manu Ginobili and Vince Carter earned 21 and 15 points, respectively. It was the first occasion in NBA history when two players aged over 40 scored 15 points or more. It was the 27th of August in 2018 when Manu Ginobili announced his retirement from professional basketball. With this, Ginobili became only the second player (after Nick Collison of Oklahoma) in NBA history to complete his career with a single NBA franchise.

Manu Ginobili Education

Manu Ginobili was born to his parents Jorge Ginobili and Raquel. He was one of three sons of his parents and all played professional basketball to some level. His father was also a manager for a local basketball club named Bahiense del Norte. Therefore, Manu received an ideal atmosphere for basketball from his home. He started watching and following basketball in childhood and found very much of the game.

In the 1995-96 season, Ginobili made his professional debut in the Argentine Basketball League. In 1996, he was traded to Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca where he represented his hometown team until 1998. After that, Manu Ginobili went to Europe with his Italian team to spend the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. If we talk about Manu Ginobili’s education, he has never gone to college.

Manu Ginobili Championship

In his professional basketball career with the Spurs, Manu Ginobili managed to taste four NBA championships. He exhibited spectacular game skills throughout his career and earned multiple accolades for his side. The Spurs’ victory in the NBA Finals in the 2002-03 season was the first for Manu. Two seasons after that, Manu Ginobili supported his team to clinch its third title in the league.

In the season 2006-07, the San Antonio Spurs registered its next victory in the NBA Finals. They defeated the Cavaliers in the final game. Manu Ginobili led his side to another NBA championship in the 2013-14 season. Hence, Ginobili has won a total of 4 NBA championships in his entire professional basketball career.

Manu Ginobili Awards and Achievements

Manu Ginobili Net Worth

Manu Ginobili is born into a family of professional basketball players. He dedicated his entire professional career in the NBA to a sole team – the San Antonio Spurs. Over the course of his career, Manu has earned a decent fortune and several awards, accolades and honors. His net worth is estimated at US$45 million. In addition to that, Manu Ginobili is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Third Team. Ginobili is one of the most-honored players in the professional basketball world.

Manu Ginobili Contract

Manu Ginobili spent his entire professional basketball career with a single NBA franchise – the San Antonio Spurs. He came across the officials multiple times to make or re-sign his contract. In 2002, he signed his first two-year contract with the Spurs worth US$2,782,500. After that, Manu continued to re-sign his agreements with the side until his retirement. The last contract he agreed to with the Spurs was a two-year agreement worth US$5,000,000.

Manu Ginobili Family

Manu Ginobili comes from a basketball-playing family. His older brothers (Sebastian and Leandro) also have played professional basketball for different clubs. His father Jorge was also a manager for a local basketball club.

Manu is married to Argentine beauty Marianela Orono. The two met for the first time in 1997 when Manu was playing for his hometown. They dated each other for nearly six years before tying the knot on July 11, 2004. They had twin boys on May 16, 2010 and then a third boy on April 21, 2014.

Manu Ginobili Wife

Marianela Orono is wife of Manu Ginobili. As mentioned above, both met in 1997 through a common friend when Manu was playing for his hometown. Orono is a beautiful and financially-independent lady that belongs to the South American country of Argentina. They dated each other for almost six years before becoming life partners on July 11, 2004. Currently, the couple has three boys.

Manu Ginobili Dad

Manu Ginobili belongs to a family of basketball players. His father Jorge Ginobili served as a manager in a local basketball club named Bahiense del Norte. Manu also learned to play the game in the same club during his early years of life. Meanwhile, Manu’s older brothers Sebastian and Leandro also used to play professional basketball for professional clubs.

Manu Ginobili Shoe

Manu Ginobili is pretty famous in the shoe world due to an incident that occurred to him in 2014. His Nike shoes literally exploded during a match. However, Manu showed loyalty and continued with the brand until his retirement in 2018.