Influence Of Latino Influence On American Sports
Hispanic/Latino Influence on American Sports
Right now, the NBA is considered an urban, inner-city sport dominated by African Americans. This perception is enforced by the media’s constant attention to players who defy what white Americans consider, “normal.” This image broke through during the early 1990s when here at the University of Michigan, a brash and flashy group of five freshman debuted. They were dubbed The Fab Five.
While the NBA may carry the moniker of America’s Hip-Hop Sport, it is transitioning toward a more international flair. Here is a sampling of the Latino presence in the ever-changing demographic of the NBA. One well known example is Manu Ginóbili.
Due to the lack of exposure of Latino players to the NBA in the early 1990′s, Manu played for the Argentine basketball league and the Italian league before making the jump to the NBA. In 2002, Ginóbili signed with the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. As an inexperienced rookie in the NBA, Ginóbili used his quickness and resiliency to spark fast breaks and create game changing plays. The Spurs won the championship that year and they also won it in 2005, with Ginóbili losing a close race for NBA Finals MVP to Tim Duncan. …show more content…
Through organizations such as Basketball without Borders which has hosted its 2nd annual Americas outreach program, Ginóbili and other Latino players are able to reach out to Latinos in Central and South America and run mini training camp sessions to teach them the fundamentals of basketball. His contributions are opening the doors for numerous
Right now, the NBA is considered an urban, inner-city sport dominated by African Americans. This perception is enforced by the media’s constant attention to players who defy what white Americans consider, “normal.” This image broke through during the early 1990s when here at the University of Michigan, a brash and flashy group of five freshman debuted. They were dubbed The Fab Five.
While the NBA may carry the moniker of America’s Hip-Hop Sport, it is transitioning toward a more international flair. Here is a sampling of the Latino presence in the ever-changing demographic of the NBA. One well known example is Manu Ginóbili.
Due to the lack of exposure of Latino players to the NBA in the early 1990′s, Manu played for the Argentine basketball league and the Italian league before making the jump to the NBA. In 2002, Ginóbili signed with the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. As an inexperienced rookie in the NBA, Ginóbili used his quickness and resiliency to spark fast breaks and create game changing plays. The Spurs won the championship that year and they also won it in 2005, with Ginóbili losing a close race for NBA Finals MVP to Tim Duncan. …show more content…
Through organizations such as Basketball without Borders which has hosted its 2nd annual Americas outreach program, Ginóbili and other Latino players are able to reach out to Latinos in Central and South America and run mini training camp sessions to teach them the fundamentals of basketball. His contributions are opening the doors for numerous