Basketball Is Increasingly Popular With Latino Fans. Why Aren't There More Latino Players?
Manu Ginobili, a former guard for the San Antonio Spurs, is widely considered the best Latin American basketball player ever.
Eric Gay / AP
By Esteban Bustillos
April 12, 2019
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Why Aren't There More Latino Basketball Players?
You can’t even begin to talk about Latino basketball players without talking about Manu Ginobili.
The Argentinian shooting guard is widely considered the best Latin American player ever. He spent 16 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, where he won four championships. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said his presence off the court with the Latino community was always something special.
“The people here took him in as one of their own," he said. "And he allowed it to happen. He’s a very warm individual and understood his responsibility to the community. And it was a great marriage from day one to this day.”
Ginobili bowed out last year, but the team retired his jersey this March when the Spurs took on the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. Billed as “Gracias Manu,” the night was a celebration of everything Ginobili — and his heritage.
A sign outside of the AT&T Center in San Antonio honors Ginobili's career.
Esteban Bustillos / WGBH News
Everywhere you looked, there were fans wearing Ginobili's black and silver Spurs jersey or his powder blue and white Argentina threads. A local grocery chain even left tissues in fan's seats in case they needed to shed a tear or two.
Before the game started, an Argentinean singer performed the country’s national anthem. At halftime, members of Argentina's "Golden Generation" men's basketball team had a round table discussion about the impact of Ginobili.
And when it was Ginobili’s time to talk after the game, he gave a bilingual speech to the sold-out arena.
"Thank you all, seriously. All here and all watching... for being with me all along. I really appreciate it. I love you."
It was a fitting send off for the NBA’s most successful Latin player ever in one of the country's most Latino cities.
“The Latino demographic is the one that grows, I believe, the most in the States already," said Arnon de Mello, vice president and managing director of NBA Latin America, referring to the fan base.
According to the League, Hispanics comprise 17 percent of the domestic fan base. That’s roughly 15 million fans.
And in Latin America, NBA programming reaches 51 countries and territories and is broadcast in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. It's even starting to gain ground on that other sport involving a ball and a net.
“You know, if you look at the Caribbean and Brazil and Mexico, you see that in that region, basketball clearly is a contender for the number two spot, not only in terms of participation, but also affinity and popularity of the sport, only losing to [soccer]," de Mello said.
But as popular as the game is becoming among fans, Latino professional players are still scarce. According to The Institute For Diversity And Ethics in Sport, the NBA was only 2.3 percent Latino last season.
So along with junior NBA programs in Latin America, the League just opened an academy in Mexico City last year to help the best prospects in the region develop. And de Mello said they’re working on getting a G-League team, the NBA version of a minor league club, set up in the Mexican capital.
“So I think the path is there. It’s ready," he said. "And hopefully we’ll see more and more boys and girls coming out of these programs into the NBA and the WNBA.”
This is a big change from when Boston Celtics center Al Horford was growing up in the Dominican Republic, when basketball was just starting to become popular. But now, it’s everywhere.
“You go in DR and you drive around, and you see everybody playing basketball, at a basketball court and people are hungry," he said. "They really enjoy basketball.”
Boston Celtics' Al Horford drives to the basket.
Winslow Townson / AP
And Horford is using his own influence to help grow the game. Last summer, the Celtics big man was part of an initiative to renovate courts in the Dominican Republic.
“One of the things that I want to continue to work on is to continue to help to develop the game over there," Horford said. "Meaning helping with bringing more clinics and educating more of the coaches over there about techniques about the game and how the game is being played and so many things that they need to work on and continue to do that because the passion is there.”
Now, he and other Latino players help to carry the torch first lit by people like his father Tito Horford, who was the first Dominican player in the NBA, and Ginobili. Horford is aware of the example he’s setting for the community.
“It’s something that I carry with me every day, and I understand the responsibility that’s on my shoulders," Horford said. "And it’s something that I embrace. I really enjoy it, and it’s something that I’m proud of, to be a Latino.”
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FIBA: “Basketball is a simple game. 10 people chase the ball for 40 minutes, Spain always wins” - Basketball
FIBA paraphrased Gary Lineker's famous statement about Germany in football.
“Basketball is a simple game. 10 people chasing the ball for 40 or 45 minutes, Spain always wins,” FIBA tweeted.
The Spanish team beat Lithuania (102:94, OT) in the 1/8 finals of EuroBasket 2022 and reached the 1/4 finals for the 21st time in a row, which is the tournament's all-time record.
“Football is a simple game. 22 people chase the ball for 90 minutes, and at the end the Germans win,” Lineker said after England lost to Germany at the 1990 World Cup.
Superstar performances, refereeing scandals and failed organization. What's happening at EuroBasket 2022
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Ainars Bagatskis: "We know what game Spain is playing, but we must think about our game" - Interview
Head coach of the Ukrainian national basketball team Ainars Bagatskis in the program Basketball” spoke about the readiness of the national team for the match against Spain, personnel losses of the team and tactics for the game:
About the atmosphere in the team and the perception of the situation in the country
The atmosphere in the team is very, very good. Working, positive stop, lots of energy, lots of jokes.
According to the situation in the country, the players react more calmly than foreign players, although everything is purely individual. But I think that deep down all the guys are very worried and worried. Personally, I'm already tired of reacting and thinking about this situation. I try to distance myself from things that I cannot fix, that I cannot influence. All I can do is direct all my energy and attention to basketball.
I think, compared to 2014, the situation is now calmer. Then especially February-March were more intense. Plus, when Latvia declared independence, then the USSR also did not want to let us go, they also shot at us, I was at the barricades. Therefore, I have some kind of hardening.
Does the fact that there will be one match in the window, and not two, affect the preparation?
I don't know how to do it better. Nothing in particular changes. When the whole group stage consists of six games, every game has a lot of value. In any case, I believe that the important game is the one that will be next. In our case, it will be the only one. As I always say, all your attention, focus, energy should be directed in one direction to this one game.
We know what game Spain is playing, but we have to think about our game. We will not play this game as a favorite, but we must show our basketball. We do not need to think and adapt to the Spaniards.
About Vladimir Gerun's injury and Vyacheslav Kravtsov's additional call
I don't know how to put it right from a medical point of view, I'll try to explain it like this “around and around”. He has a problem with his knee, procedures are being done for a whole month and Vladimir cannot play at full strength, there were only games.
And imagine, if a player plays for a month without training, only on injections, then now this is a good chance to train, work and recover, heal his knee.
And I'm all in favor with both hands for the player to be healthy. Gerun, like any other national team player, needs to be healthy. If a player cannot come 100% healthy, then it is better not to come.
Calling Kravtsov for a replacement is even more of my decision. Slava has been looking good in the league for the last month. Of course, the national team is a different role, a different team, but his experience, just in the game against the Spaniards, in Spain, where he spent several seasons, is the best option at the moment.
About Sanon's injury
He has nothing new. In the last seconds of the game with Budivelnik, about a month ago, or even more, he injured his ankle, then recovered. A week ago I played two games, then I played against Nikolaev and in the last seconds I again injured that same ankle.
We already had everything, tickets were bought, everything was for him, we expected that he would come, but he called and said that he simply could not play.
I want to thank the federation that for this one game, for this three-day mini-gathering, we have 14 players. This means that in training we can keep the intensity high and train a little longer than usual, because there are equivalent replacements.
Figuratively speaking, now Sanon's replacement is Kovalev. Because, I'll say it again, we have 14 players at our disposal for this training camp, and, of course, like all good coaches, I must say that a place in the squad is not guaranteed to anyone.
About Prometheus players and their condition
Petrov and Lukashov were already at the training session in Kyiv, Lipovoy and Sidorov joined us yesterday in Spain. We will now have the first general training with all 14 players and then we will see their condition (the conversation took place before the evening training on February 21 - approx.). Jerome Randle has the same story.
It's a big plus that Prometheus players have played against Spanish teams in the Champions League. Although, as a national team coach, I would like Ukrainian players to play more important roles. But it's up to me to decide. But the most important thing is that the Ukrainian players of Prometheus gained a new experience of playing in the Champions League. They have become more self-confident.
What I fear from the match against Spain
I will not say it quite standardly - I am afraid that we may not have enough patience. If we start playing the basketball that Spain plays, succumbing to their adventures, provocations on the field, if we let them scatter, then we will have huge problems. Here it will be very important to stick to the game plan, to force the Spaniards to play as much as possible with an even line-up. If we succeed, everything will be fine.
In the first two qualifying games for the 2023 World Cup, the Spaniards ran across North Macedonia and Georgia. If the Macedonians were in the game for about 17 minutes, then in the second half they already swam. The Georgians arrived without Shengeli at all, he did all the dirty work against us and they had no options at all against Spain. The most important thing for us is to be in the game as long as possible.
According to the composition of Spain
The main thing will be how we prepare. They all play in the Spanish championship, which is the best league in Europe, who are vice-champions of the world in status, etc. All players play 20 minutes in the best league on the continent and they will be confident. There will be no Dario Brizuela and Kino Coloma - these are key players in recent matches, but other people will take over their functions. Although it will not be players like them.
I don't understand the question of whether we have a chance to win away from Spain. Before the game we are all equal. Yes, someone has a louder name on the chest, but live people play. In one game, anyone can beat anyone.
Words for fans
We have a draft in the national team. When we go to the match, the captain says: “Our land!”, And the team answers: “Ukraine!”.
98/ 6'6''
93/ 6'4''
06/ 6'9''
06/ 6'9''
93/ 6'4''
98/ 6'6''
A local grocery chain even left tissues in fan's seats in case they needed to shed a tear or two.
And de Mello said they’re working on getting a G-League team, the NBA version of a minor league club, set up in the Mexican capital. 
"Meaning helping with bringing more clinics and educating more of the coaches over there about techniques about the game and how the game is being played and so many things that they need to work on and continue to do that because the passion is there.”
Join us.
Working, positive stop, lots of energy, lots of jokes. 
In any case, I believe that the important game is the one that will be next. In our case, it will be the only one. As I always say, all your attention, focus, energy should be directed in one direction to this one game. 
Gerun, like any other national team player, needs to be healthy. If a player cannot come 100% healthy, then it is better not to come. 
This means that in training we can keep the intensity high and train a little longer than usual, because there are equivalent replacements. 
But it's up to me to decide. But the most important thing is that the Ukrainian players of Prometheus gained a new experience of playing in the Champions League. They have become more self-confident. 
The most important thing for us is to be in the game as long as possible. 
