circles_eternal
02-25-2005, 11:37 PM
-- i know the ASG`s old news now, but i just found this on spurs.com and thought it very interesting..
Feb. 20, 2005
Minuto Con Manu: It’s Game Time!
by Manu Ginobili
I am about to leave for the arena and have a great anticipation to be part of a so important celebration. I am trying to enjoy it and to the maximum and to take in everything that is happening around me. No, no, I forgot to take my, so Cholulo I am not. I am not going to walk around filming my teammates. Until this moment, I was packing my bags because as soon as the party finishes, we return to the hotel, I take a shower and we go straight to the airport to take the airplane and to return to San Antonio. This time, as we are not many players, it was decided that we would not travel on the Spurs; we came in a private jet that is a little bit smaller.
It was a hectic at noon today because I was with CNN in a panel of representatives of the NBA, along with Commissioner David Stern, Shaquille O´Neal, Grant Hill and Billy Hunter, who is the Director of the Association of Players. It is an international program and it is always done before the All-Star Game. I was there as a representative of the international players. It touched me because in other occasions there had been the German Dirk Nowitzky and the Canadian Steve Nash. The program was quite aggressive. We spoke about the image of the players, of the biggest problem of the season that happened in Detroit with Indiana, when some players attacked the public, and on differences between the NBA and the players. Later I took advantage of the arrival my parents, who until the last moments were not sure they could come, to eat with family and to chat of a little. I already obtained the credentials for them for the party, so it is all good.
Now, when I arrived at the arena, "here came the bulls again." Yes, because 45 minutes before the game, they open the locker room doors for the journalists and they enter all worried to make their news. In these two days, there were many interviews and I responded to an infinity of questions, but nothing compared with which happens at the NBA Finals. It is terrible there. Not even at the Olympic Games did we have as much watching, because at the Olympic Villa only a few journalists entered and we only took care of the press after the games.
Last night - the night before the game - I preferred not to join in the major chaos that was the All-Star dunk and shooting events. I took it easy and I went to have supper with my wife and representatives of the team. It was not obligatory to go; the NBA, in that, gives you total freedom. Just as well, I know what happened and I saw that Phoenix almost dominated everything with four winners. Is this the year of Phoenix? I would say that they won three of those four events yesterday because there was no representative of the Spurs, ha ha.
There are two questions that often get asked of me. One is if I had found Charles Barkley, because of what he said about if I were not chosen for the All-Star he would not come to Denver. I was making an interview with TNT, where Barkley works, but was in another room then. I sent greetings to him.
The other is on my particular style of game. Haphazard, they say. I spent a little time talking about it the other day going down an elevator with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan. I’ve always played this way, but it’s true that I do not know another player who plays something similar.
Another interesting thing was to chat on was the security officers that we had from the NBA. They explained to us how we had to move. They said that we should avoid going to any parties, that we should try to attend only the events organized by them, and that we should not approach much the public to avoid crowds, and that, before any meeting, we should communicate with the head of security of the NBA. They made us understand that the security considers us celebrities and that we had to be taken care of and to collaborate with them.
The first day I ran across Diana Taurasi, daughter of Argentineans and star of WNBA. We had already been in the Olympic Games together; she won gold with the Women’s Dream Team. This time we spoke quickly, we congratulated each other and that type of thing. I know that she had a great performance and she won the three-point competition.
Yes, also I met with Horacio Muratore, president of the Argentina Confederation, to see if we could set up my performance in a probable exhibition with the Globetrotters. I can tell you something: there are many factors that have to be considered in planning such a deal. We must coordinate many things: dates, insurance, permissions, days of concentration, etc. But, in principle, we put ourselves in agreement. I cannot say anything else, because it is confidential. I spoke with the NBA and there would not be disadvantages to obtain the permission. Also, we spoke of the technical future of the selection and he commented to me that now they were going to begin to speak with the four candidates.
Finally, I found out just that Pepe (Sanchez) and Walter (Herrmann) won the Trophy of the King in Spain. I am so glad and send to them a great greeting. I congratulate them. I know that they had not had a great year, so these prizes always help to digest moments that are not so good.
Feb. 20, 2005
Minuto Con Manu: It’s Game Time!
by Manu Ginobili
I am about to leave for the arena and have a great anticipation to be part of a so important celebration. I am trying to enjoy it and to the maximum and to take in everything that is happening around me. No, no, I forgot to take my, so Cholulo I am not. I am not going to walk around filming my teammates. Until this moment, I was packing my bags because as soon as the party finishes, we return to the hotel, I take a shower and we go straight to the airport to take the airplane and to return to San Antonio. This time, as we are not many players, it was decided that we would not travel on the Spurs; we came in a private jet that is a little bit smaller.
It was a hectic at noon today because I was with CNN in a panel of representatives of the NBA, along with Commissioner David Stern, Shaquille O´Neal, Grant Hill and Billy Hunter, who is the Director of the Association of Players. It is an international program and it is always done before the All-Star Game. I was there as a representative of the international players. It touched me because in other occasions there had been the German Dirk Nowitzky and the Canadian Steve Nash. The program was quite aggressive. We spoke about the image of the players, of the biggest problem of the season that happened in Detroit with Indiana, when some players attacked the public, and on differences between the NBA and the players. Later I took advantage of the arrival my parents, who until the last moments were not sure they could come, to eat with family and to chat of a little. I already obtained the credentials for them for the party, so it is all good.
Now, when I arrived at the arena, "here came the bulls again." Yes, because 45 minutes before the game, they open the locker room doors for the journalists and they enter all worried to make their news. In these two days, there were many interviews and I responded to an infinity of questions, but nothing compared with which happens at the NBA Finals. It is terrible there. Not even at the Olympic Games did we have as much watching, because at the Olympic Villa only a few journalists entered and we only took care of the press after the games.
Last night - the night before the game - I preferred not to join in the major chaos that was the All-Star dunk and shooting events. I took it easy and I went to have supper with my wife and representatives of the team. It was not obligatory to go; the NBA, in that, gives you total freedom. Just as well, I know what happened and I saw that Phoenix almost dominated everything with four winners. Is this the year of Phoenix? I would say that they won three of those four events yesterday because there was no representative of the Spurs, ha ha.
There are two questions that often get asked of me. One is if I had found Charles Barkley, because of what he said about if I were not chosen for the All-Star he would not come to Denver. I was making an interview with TNT, where Barkley works, but was in another room then. I sent greetings to him.
The other is on my particular style of game. Haphazard, they say. I spent a little time talking about it the other day going down an elevator with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan. I’ve always played this way, but it’s true that I do not know another player who plays something similar.
Another interesting thing was to chat on was the security officers that we had from the NBA. They explained to us how we had to move. They said that we should avoid going to any parties, that we should try to attend only the events organized by them, and that we should not approach much the public to avoid crowds, and that, before any meeting, we should communicate with the head of security of the NBA. They made us understand that the security considers us celebrities and that we had to be taken care of and to collaborate with them.
The first day I ran across Diana Taurasi, daughter of Argentineans and star of WNBA. We had already been in the Olympic Games together; she won gold with the Women’s Dream Team. This time we spoke quickly, we congratulated each other and that type of thing. I know that she had a great performance and she won the three-point competition.
Yes, also I met with Horacio Muratore, president of the Argentina Confederation, to see if we could set up my performance in a probable exhibition with the Globetrotters. I can tell you something: there are many factors that have to be considered in planning such a deal. We must coordinate many things: dates, insurance, permissions, days of concentration, etc. But, in principle, we put ourselves in agreement. I cannot say anything else, because it is confidential. I spoke with the NBA and there would not be disadvantages to obtain the permission. Also, we spoke of the technical future of the selection and he commented to me that now they were going to begin to speak with the four candidates.
Finally, I found out just that Pepe (Sanchez) and Walter (Herrmann) won the Trophy of the King in Spain. I am so glad and send to them a great greeting. I congratulate them. I know that they had not had a great year, so these prizes always help to digest moments that are not so good.