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Here's the transaltion.
Ginóbili:
“It’s hard for me to believe it and say it: I’m an All-Star”
He leaves a room where he spent the last 40 minutes with members of the international press, and turns left. He asks for a chair and sits beside an improvised wardrobe where nobody touches somebody else’s coat. Emanuel Ginóbili has accepted Clarín and Olé’s (the only Argentine media present in Denver) proposal and relaxes in order to start an informal chat with the reporters. Everybody sits on the floor. “Given that the international reporters kept asking the same things over and over, at the end I just played for them the typical ‘cassette’”, says Manu. A more fresh and natural conversation begins . . .
How would you define what will happen tomorrow night?
“Something amazing. Circus would not be the ideal word, although to some extent it is. It’s a well organized show. It’s something unique. Look, nobody likes sitting down for an hour, answering questions, but we do it because its part of the business, and at the end of the day, it’s good for us and for everybody.”
What do you remember from the ASG you watched on TV as a kid?
“I remember going crazy every time somebody brought a video of one of them. I was a big fan of the ASG. I remember many of them, including the 3-pt shootouts Larry Bird won and the dunk compe ions Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan won. I’ve seen them all and enjoyed every one of them.”
Have you spoken with the rest of the players?
“I said hi to them. Being so close to them makes me realize where I am. It’s an amazing feeling and I know I will enjoy every second of it. It’s huge!”
His name was included in the candidate list for the ASG, but when Manu learned that the coaches had voted for him as a reserve, he was ecstatic. “I think they chose me because I’m playing well in the best NBA team. It must have been difficult to choose between Tony Parker and me. One of us had to be chosen, but not both. The best team deserves to have two representatives at the ASG. I thinks coaches appreciate the little things I do and the fact I’m not your typical NBA player”
Even though you always keep a low profile, being at the ASG makes you and All Star . . .
“It’s hard for me to believe it and say it, but what you say s true, at the end of the day, this is the ASG and I’m part of it. Over the course of this year, I feel people respect me more, like me more, talk about me more. Nevertheless, I was not expecting this, but now that it has happened, I’m incredibly happy. Now I’m part of the NBA elite. It’s not the same being a good player than being an AS. Being close to being an AS is not the same as being one. The day you are told you have been selected for the ASG is amazing. I know my resume will forever change. This weekend will be tattooed in my mind for ever.”
Last year’s rookies vs. sop res game was a joke . . .
“(interrupting) It’s you who says that, eh . . . (laughs in agreement).”
Do you imagine this one differently?
“There’s a big difference. Tomorrow, there will be players that have done this many times. Tomorrow’s game has way more significance.”
You have emphasized you want to have fun, but do you want to do something special?
“No, I don’t come to this game trying to stand out or thinking about doing a great play. I simply come to play. If the box score shows 0-6 from the field, it does not matter. The victory for me is being present. I will probably do fewer things than what I do in a normal game. When somebody is trying hard to come up with the special play, that play never occurs. Instead of taking responsibilities, I will try to absorb what’s going on around me. On a regular game, I’m not aware what the public is singing or what they are showing on the large screens. Everything besides the game is pretty much a blur. Tomorrow it will be different. I will be more relaxed, I will have more fun, I will be watching and enjoying the show.”
Nobody will yell at you . . .
“No, nobody will scold me (sarcastic). Even though I always want to win, the game will be more relaxed in that respect.”
What are you missing?
“Nothing really. But I do want more. I’ve been saying it since I won in Europe. One feels so good when he wins a championship. Its great being part of the best NBA team, the best National team. You train during months with that objective in mind. And that’s what people will remember you for. The ASG was never an objective of mine. The objective is the NBA le. This is a gift which I was not expecting.”
What will you do with the AS shirt?
“It will be part of the museum, together with the gold medal, the 2002/3 Spurs championship champagne-stained shirt, and the European championship shirts. These are important things in my carrier. But even though this is the ASG shirt, it will not be more important than the others.”
So the 48 points against Phoenix will also go to the museum?
“There will be a DVD with that game.”
Have you seen that game many times?
“Only once. I could not remember how things had happened. I wanted to see it again. Moreover, I had been an important part of that game. It was a great game, fun to watch. A truly unique game.”
The chat ends. Between today and tomorrow, there will be time for more. For Manu, the fun has already started.
