The Argentine revolutionary — four-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medallist whose Euro step, fearlessness and extraordinary creativity made him one of the most beloved players in NBA history.
Emanuel David Ginobili was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina in 1977. He developed through Italian basketball — winning the EuroLeague with Kinder Bologna in 2001 — before San Antonio Spurs selected him 57th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft and waited three years. His 16-season career produced four NBA championships (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and one of the most distinctive careers in basketball history. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008 despite being one of the most impactful players on a championship team — a reflection of his willingness to sacrifice personal statistics for team success. He was selected to two All-Star games. His career average of 13.3 points per game understates his value — in his peak seasons he regularly produced 20-point performances off the bench. His playing style was entirely his own: the euro step, the no-look pass, the spin move in traffic — each executed with improvisational flair that defenders found genuinely unpredictable. He led Argentina to Olympic gold at the Athens 2004 Games, defeating the USA's bronze-medal team in what is considered the greatest upset in Olympic basketball history. He represented Argentina at four Olympics. He retired in 2018. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. He and Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are collectively regarded as the greatest trio in Spurs history.
Creative playmaking, clutch performances, and Euro-step move
How They Played
Crafty left-handed guard with exceptional court vision and clutch gene
Lasting Impact
Argentine basketball legend who helped globalize the NBA
NBA Champion 4x (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
Career Honours
- NBA Champion 4x (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
- Olympic Gold Medal (Argentina 2004)
- EuroLeague Champion 2001
- Sixth Man of the Year 2008
- Hall of Fame 2022