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I will miss Fab. As it has been said many times before, teams that win need guys like him. He is a basketball player in the real sense of the word.
Food for Thought: Feeling Oberto's pain
Mike Finger - Express-News
I came armed with earphones and a paperback, the usual defenses against airline conversation. But as I plopped down in a seat next to a traveler who required even more legroom than I did, I realized resistance was pointless.
Fabricio Oberto needed to talk.
I didn't know him well. We'd met at his first public Texas appearance, the day he was introduced as a member of the Spurs four years ago, but it's not like he was a popular locker-room interview subject. More often than not after games, he'd slip out past the crowds of cameras and microphones surrounding Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili without saying a word.
But this day was different, and you didn't need to be a psychoanalyst to figure out why. We were bound for San Antonio — the city he and his family had called home since 2005, the city where he was recently told he was no longer needed, and the city where the house he'd always figured he'd retire in now stood half-empty with a “For Sale” sign in front of it.
Understandably, Oberto had a few things on his mind.
Most of us never dream we'll end up feeling sympathy for millionaires, particularly professional athletes. They live a recession-proof, jet-setting life of luxury, with ego-stroking admirers and work days that look like recess. Sure, they have their problems, but we'd trade ours for theirs in a heartbeat.
So it's jarring, then, when you find yourself in the curious position of trying to cheer up a guy who spent your approximate net worth on his guest room. The conversation didn't start out that way — in fact, the tipping point might have been a discussion about the upcoming Austin City Limits music festival. Last year, Oberto attended all three days. This year, he'll miss it because of the Washington Wizards' training camp.
“I wish I didn't have to leave,” he said.
Oberto, you might remember, was part of the trade that brought Richard Jefferson to the Spurs from Milwaukee this summer. The Bucks quickly moved him to Detroit, which let him go for salary-cap reasons. Oberto said he was hoping the Spurs would bring him back, but they signed Theo Ratliff instead.
It wasn't until the Ratliff signing that Oberto, 34, knew his time in San Antonio was over, and the realization wasn't easy. In his first American experience, the native Argentine developed a bond not only with a group of teammates but also a community, and he'd fallen hard for South Texas. His wife and daughter loved it here, and he was proud of having “learned all the tricks” about where to shop, where to eat, and what to see. After last season, he rented an R.V. and camped out at Canyon Lake. Then came the trade, a contract with the Wizards, and the sudden knowledge that everything was about to change.
“It's a whole new life,” he said.
He was quick to point out how good the Wizards can be and how he's looking forward to proving himself with a new team, but his disappointment about leaving the Spurs was evident. At one point, I actually caught myself mentioning the advantages of playing in the Eastern Conference and the convenience of all the direct flights out of Washington airports, but he saw through such pla udes.
This was not unlike some of the conversations Lyle Lovett must've had with friends after breaking up with Julia Roberts. No matter what people said, he was not going to do better, and he knew it.
Oberto talked about the heart procedure he underwent in June — how his chest aches and how sometimes he feels like he can't breathe — and I was thinking about the significance of that when he pointed to a San Antonio landmark coming into focus outside his window.
“I wish I didn't have to leave,” he said again.
And once we were on the ground, as he was greeted by a car waiting to chauffer him to the Dominion and I headed back to the economy lot and the security of the newspaper industry, one thought kept running through my mind:
I hope the kid makes it.
I will miss Fab. As it has been said many times before, teams that win need guys like him. He is a basketball player in the real sense of the word.
Sucks for Fab, but that's the business. I wish him well in Washington.
yeah thats the part i hate about pro basketball, you get attatched to these players and then theyre gone!
The article le kind of sounds like a medical procedure....
He really is a great guy and it sucks to see him go.
why so somber? its not like hes dying
guess he'll have to dry his tears with his millions of dollars
Chest aches and cant breathe? I like him but he really needs to see a doctor and maybe just retire. No need to be another Pistol Pete.
i guess you could compare the two, except one was a badass american and one is a mediocre foreigner
No one else thought this was funny?... Really?and I headed back to the economy lot and the security of the newspaper industry
Good article by Finger. I feel bad for Fab. Keep in mind though, the NBA is ENTERTAINMENT. Accordingly, it is run for profit. Consumers want to pay for the best possible product; owners want to produce the best possible product with the lowest possible expense. Stuff like this happens. I have a feeling that when push comes to shove, Oberto won't complain. And as the consumer, neither will you.
I don't feel bad about him going to Washington. Dude is set financially. The only thing I feel bad about is his heart condition.
Fab wasn't the most gifted athlete, but he had a high BB IQ and a great sense of the Spurs' system.
He will be missed and I wish him all the best.
He'll always be a Spur in my book. The good ones always are.
Oberto, I live in DC. PM me, I'll take you out to party....
whose finger felt oberto's pain?
It was for the greater good of the team. Good luck Oberto.
Truthfully, it was time the Spurs make that change. In fact, they probably kept Oberto a year too long. Valuable contributor, great teammate and one uva smart player. I wish him the best in D.C.
I hope he does well in D.C. I'll be keeping an eye on them. He was one of my favorites, especially during the 2007 run. Good luck, and you will be missed.
I think Wizard players will benefit a lot from his BB IQ.
if oberto was good than rasho should have his number retired
" Finger: feeling Oberto's pain "
Sorry, couldn't resist
Oberto is one of those 'character' guys that you hate to lose for what he brings to the team off the court as well as on.
If he really loves it here in S.A. then maybe he'll be one of those former or retired Spurs players that return and settle down here. He'd be a welcome addition to our community.
I've got a finger for you, Trebek!
Here you go DynastySpurs210.
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