Manu Begins To Train with Team Argentina

Foto:Maria Garcia

While the Spurs play the waiting game with free agent Corey Maggette, they have also kept their attention on their sixth man award winner, Manu Ginobili, who is hopeful that his ankle injury will heal enough to permit him to play in the Olympics.

According to the Argentine Newspaper La Nacion, Ginobili surprised everybody on Saturday by training actively during the first day of practice.

Miguel Romano writes for La Nacion:

Yesterday he surprised by completing the extensive activity, which began by doing abdominal exercises and weights in the gym, together with other companions, and then continued his work in the parquet of the stadium of Newell’s Old Boys. It was ten minutes on the stationary bicycle and he ended with stretching and then shooting some 30 free throws, though without jumping or moving from the free throw line.

That night, at basketball practice, Manu trudged on the base line for ten minutes, returned with abdominal stretches and performed some gentle movements with his ankle. All was done under the supervision of Bergman. When the team began with tactical movements, he sat down on the bench to observe.

Manu will continue to train and is expected to do some exercises in the swimming pool the next day.

Team Argentina, who will have 5 NBA players on their roster, will play its first preparation game against Poland on Wednesday.