spurschick
06-12-2005, 08:55 AM
Spurs' Ginobili just might be the foreign-born player NBA fans, and U.S. corporations, can embrace
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/11874202.htm
SAN ANTONIO — If the NBA's most recent marketing slogan is true, Manu Ginobili is on his way to becoming a legend, a superstar capable of returning the league to its rightful place as a domestic television force.
The finals are where legends are born, and one game into this San Antonio-Detroit series, Ginobili is the man knocking at the door asking to sit down with Doctor J, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
Ginobili just might be the right man at the right time for this assignment. The NBA fancies itself as the world's game, a global phenomenon the equal of soccer. The league is home to a potpourri of players from across the globe.
But the NBA, just like the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NHL, has never developed an overseas-born, foreign-trained player into a stateside, TV-ratings-driving, commercial endorsement superstar.
Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon, Canada's Steve Nash and even the Virgin Islands' Tim Duncan all went through the NCAA hype machine before becoming NBA stars. Baseball had a brief bout of Fernando (Valenzuela) Mania. But it passed quickly. Fernando never mastered our language. America did embrace Canada's Wayne Gretzky. But he was born in North America, played a sport that Canadians invented and talked and looked as American as George Washington.
Nope. It's rare for us, American sports fans, to put our arms completely around a foreign athlete and let him tell us which beer to drink, which car to drive, which brand of underwear to put on and which credit card to use. Those responsibilities are best left in the qualified hands of our wives, girlfriends, mistresses and Tiger Woods.
“Sammy Sosa came close,” pointed out TNT sideline reporter David Aldridge.
Yes, Sammy almost crossed over, before a corked bat and rumors of a corked syringe lowered his profile.
I can't imagine what's going to sidetrack Manu Ginobili. He's headed for rarefied air. He could be the next big thing in sports. Not as big as Danica or Tiger or Jordan. But Ginobili could become a bona fide American superstar.
“He has the complete package — looks, game — brothers aren't going to hate on him because he plays with flair,” Aldridge said. “People can relate to him, because he's not too big. He's 6-6. People can't really relate to the 7-footer, Shaq, because no one is 7 feet tall.”
Longtime Sports Illustrated NBA writer Jack McCallum agrees: “Manu has fundamentals, style, looks, he's multilingual, intelligence, plays for a winner. He's white.”
Manu is actually Argentine, which makes him Latino. He's tall, dark and handsome with long, floppy black hair. He definitely has the sex-symbol thing covered. American women of all races will fall in love with him. He speaks three languages — English, Spanish and Italian.
The NBA — which routinely drafts players from overseas — needs someone like Ginobili to become a star here. Manu was one of six foreign-born players to play in the league's All-Star game this year. Americans appreciate players such as Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki, but we've yet to take a real strong rooting interest in their success. We don't really know their stories. We didn't hear about their high school careers or follow their college careers.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were instant megastars because of their historic clash in college. LeBron James is a big star because the American media hyped his high school career.
Manu, and other foreign-born players, come from out of nowhere. Casual fans don't know that Manu comes from a basketball family. He has two older brothers — both 6-3 guards — who have played professional basketball overseas for years. Manu's dad has been an executive for an Argentine team.
Most people don't know that Ginobili, who is in his third NBA season, starred in the European Leagues and helped Italy's Virtus Bologna win the 2001 Euroleague crown. He, of course, won an NBA crown as a rookie with the Spurs and was on Argentina's gold-medal-winning Olympic team last summer. When it comes to winning, Manu is as accomplished a player as there is in the world.
In these playoffs, which continue tonight, he's demonstrating that he's also one of the world's most talented players. He averaged just 16 points during the regular season. He's averaging 22 points in the postseason. His 22-point, second-half performance in game one of the finals is his signature NBA moment … so far.
“America will embrace him because he's hard-nosed and tough,” said former NBA player-turned-ESPN analyst Fred Carter. “American sports fans love toughness. Manu exudes toughness. He's one of the few guys who could play in my day, before there were flagrant fouls, back when you could knock a man to the ground and you were supposed to dust yourself off and go play ball.”
Ginobili drives to the basket recklessly, with little fear for his physical safety.
“I've never seen him lose his confidence because he's emotionally bothered,” said San Antonio sports columnist Buck Harvey. “He has a toughness that really the rest of the Spurs don't have.”
OK, he has the game, he has the look. Does he have the personality?
“I wouldn't call him extroverted, but he understands what our (media) needs are,” Harvey said. “I don't think he minds the publicity at all. It will be interesting to see what companies choose to use him. The major corporations are the ones that decide who the stars are. Will they see Manu as someone who can sell?”
Given America's growing Latino and Hispanic populations, that answer is obvious. Get ready for Manu Mania.
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/11874202.htm
SAN ANTONIO — If the NBA's most recent marketing slogan is true, Manu Ginobili is on his way to becoming a legend, a superstar capable of returning the league to its rightful place as a domestic television force.
The finals are where legends are born, and one game into this San Antonio-Detroit series, Ginobili is the man knocking at the door asking to sit down with Doctor J, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
Ginobili just might be the right man at the right time for this assignment. The NBA fancies itself as the world's game, a global phenomenon the equal of soccer. The league is home to a potpourri of players from across the globe.
But the NBA, just like the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NHL, has never developed an overseas-born, foreign-trained player into a stateside, TV-ratings-driving, commercial endorsement superstar.
Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon, Canada's Steve Nash and even the Virgin Islands' Tim Duncan all went through the NCAA hype machine before becoming NBA stars. Baseball had a brief bout of Fernando (Valenzuela) Mania. But it passed quickly. Fernando never mastered our language. America did embrace Canada's Wayne Gretzky. But he was born in North America, played a sport that Canadians invented and talked and looked as American as George Washington.
Nope. It's rare for us, American sports fans, to put our arms completely around a foreign athlete and let him tell us which beer to drink, which car to drive, which brand of underwear to put on and which credit card to use. Those responsibilities are best left in the qualified hands of our wives, girlfriends, mistresses and Tiger Woods.
“Sammy Sosa came close,” pointed out TNT sideline reporter David Aldridge.
Yes, Sammy almost crossed over, before a corked bat and rumors of a corked syringe lowered his profile.
I can't imagine what's going to sidetrack Manu Ginobili. He's headed for rarefied air. He could be the next big thing in sports. Not as big as Danica or Tiger or Jordan. But Ginobili could become a bona fide American superstar.
“He has the complete package — looks, game — brothers aren't going to hate on him because he plays with flair,” Aldridge said. “People can relate to him, because he's not too big. He's 6-6. People can't really relate to the 7-footer, Shaq, because no one is 7 feet tall.”
Longtime Sports Illustrated NBA writer Jack McCallum agrees: “Manu has fundamentals, style, looks, he's multilingual, intelligence, plays for a winner. He's white.”
Manu is actually Argentine, which makes him Latino. He's tall, dark and handsome with long, floppy black hair. He definitely has the sex-symbol thing covered. American women of all races will fall in love with him. He speaks three languages — English, Spanish and Italian.
The NBA — which routinely drafts players from overseas — needs someone like Ginobili to become a star here. Manu was one of six foreign-born players to play in the league's All-Star game this year. Americans appreciate players such as Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki, but we've yet to take a real strong rooting interest in their success. We don't really know their stories. We didn't hear about their high school careers or follow their college careers.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were instant megastars because of their historic clash in college. LeBron James is a big star because the American media hyped his high school career.
Manu, and other foreign-born players, come from out of nowhere. Casual fans don't know that Manu comes from a basketball family. He has two older brothers — both 6-3 guards — who have played professional basketball overseas for years. Manu's dad has been an executive for an Argentine team.
Most people don't know that Ginobili, who is in his third NBA season, starred in the European Leagues and helped Italy's Virtus Bologna win the 2001 Euroleague crown. He, of course, won an NBA crown as a rookie with the Spurs and was on Argentina's gold-medal-winning Olympic team last summer. When it comes to winning, Manu is as accomplished a player as there is in the world.
In these playoffs, which continue tonight, he's demonstrating that he's also one of the world's most talented players. He averaged just 16 points during the regular season. He's averaging 22 points in the postseason. His 22-point, second-half performance in game one of the finals is his signature NBA moment … so far.
“America will embrace him because he's hard-nosed and tough,” said former NBA player-turned-ESPN analyst Fred Carter. “American sports fans love toughness. Manu exudes toughness. He's one of the few guys who could play in my day, before there were flagrant fouls, back when you could knock a man to the ground and you were supposed to dust yourself off and go play ball.”
Ginobili drives to the basket recklessly, with little fear for his physical safety.
“I've never seen him lose his confidence because he's emotionally bothered,” said San Antonio sports columnist Buck Harvey. “He has a toughness that really the rest of the Spurs don't have.”
OK, he has the game, he has the look. Does he have the personality?
“I wouldn't call him extroverted, but he understands what our (media) needs are,” Harvey said. “I don't think he minds the publicity at all. It will be interesting to see what companies choose to use him. The major corporations are the ones that decide who the stars are. Will they see Manu as someone who can sell?”
Given America's growing Latino and Hispanic populations, that answer is obvious. Get ready for Manu Mania.