Media Interviews After Spurs Win 2003 NBA Championship

The San Antonio Spurs have just won the 2000-03 NBA championship, beating the New Jersey Nets in six games. Right after Game Six, San Antonio's Stephen Jackson and Manu Ginobili spoke to the media.

Q: Stephen, we talked earlier about your long road and we worked on a piece together about the road you've taken to get here, now you've beat the team that gave you a chance but cut you short. Just talk about it a little bit.

Stephen Jackson: Well, first of all, I want to thank God for putting me here. I think the road I took is definitely a blessing in disguise. Everything I went through made me stronger, humble, made me work to the point where I had to get here and not give up. I credit a lot of that to my family, friends, to God a lot. There's a lot of times where I almost gave up. This is definitely extra sweet. If I had to take that trip around the world to do it all over again, I would definitely do it.

Q: Can you compare your European Championship you had to this year?

Manu Ginobili: This is unbelievable. I feel really great after the first European League because that was my dream.

But I took it like a step to get here. I don't know if I expected to win in the first year, but it feels so good. I'm so happy, so proud, of being part of this great team. It's difficult to be happier than me.

Q: Can you talk about your fourth quarter, knocking down those shots, how it felt? Jackson: I think the thing was --

Manu Ginobili: Wait, wait, wait, he's going to be shy about it. He did great. Those 3-pointers were awesome. He's gonna say, "Yeah, we did a great job, played D," but we did it, in the offense. Big shots. I'm very proud of him, too. Don't ask him, because he's gonna be all this humble and all that... (Laughter) he was awesome.

Stephen Jackson: Thanks, I love him.

Like he said, I struggled all series. My teammates kept confidence in me. I think the situation is Pop having me and Gino on the court the same time. We're not afraid to fail. We're not afraid to take tough shots. We take a shot any time of the game. I kept getting the ball, had a good look, shot it with confidence and was able to knock them down.

Q: Could either of you guys talk about David Robinson? I know you were here listening to his press conference. What went through your mind throughout the game and now?

Stephen Jackson: Well, you know, I think a lot of guys were motivated to win it for David, simple fact of what he's done for this team, the city. I know he's done a lot for me as far as teaching me how to be a man and also a professional in this game, on and off the court.

Dave's been big for me. In the two years for me I've played with him, it's definitely special for me. Coming here I wasn't being a professional, wasn't focused, wasn't being a man, wasn't concentrating on basketball as a job. Dave takes pride, working in the off-season, working to prepare ourselves to play well, at his age, it shows a lot. We have a lot of veterans on our team, Steve, Kevin Willis, it's extra sweet for David because he definitely deserves it. Even Kevin Willis, Steve Smith, those guys have been in the league a long time, true professionals. Good things come to good people.

Q: Last year, you get the silver medal at the World Cup in Indianapolis, now you win this championship. Do you think this great success from you, it's like starting a new year for Argentina basketball?

Stephen Jackson: Yes.

Manu Ginobili: It began really, really well for our country with the national team. It was a great motivation for people in my country to begin playing basketball and follow our sport a little more.

So I think this is a big step, too. It's not usual to see our flag in a maximum stage of basketball. So I'm very proud of representing my country. I'm really proud of, as I said before, being part of this. So I think that a lot of people in Argentina would be feeling really happy for me and for seeing a part of Argentina community being there.

Q: You guys, considering how different all your backgrounds are, different journeys you've taken to get here, how odd is this whole group to have won a World Championship?

Stephen Jackson: You know what, the funniest thing is me and him, we're from totally different places, but we're exactly alike. We're from different places.

Manu Ginobili: I look better, though (laughter).

Stephen Jackson: You know what... I think this was definitely a blessing in disguise for Gino to be here. I think putting me and him on the court, I love playing with him. Like I said, we're just the same people from different places. I think it was meant for us to be together. Hopefully we can have a long time, a long career together.

Q: How did all this happen? How did they find you? How did it work?

Stephen Jackson: I have no idea where they found him. But I know where they found me at, somewhere in a small city, somewhere down in Texas. But, you know, it shows a lot for them to bring us two guys here, just to take a chance with us. A lot of people didn't know too much about Gino until he came out in those games and really made a name for himself. He came in the league and did the same thing. You gonna expect a lot from him but you haven't heard the end of me and Gino, you're gonna see us a lot.

Q: Do you think Ginobili is a better player than the joker?

Stephen Jackson: Than who? Who is joker?

Q: Joker.

Manu Ginobili: Is he a prankster? Is that what you're asking? He's a comedian. He is a joker. I think he's the only person that can throw a basketball from one end of the court to the other end and make it three times in a row. So, you know, he's the only person that plays soccer with a basketball. Gino is very weird off the court. He does a lot of things off the court but I love him. If I had to pick my backcourt man, I would love playing with Gino for the rest of my career and I mean that.

Q: What impressed you most about Tim's performance tonight?

Stephen Jackson: That we won. You know, we had so many guys step up all year and for me to hit those shots it definitely feels good. It could have been anybody on our team. We have a lot of guys that can step up and knock down the shots. It's extra sweet to win against Jersey, my old team, it's definitely something I wanted to do. It feels extra sweet to beat them, regardless of whether or not I performed, we're champions now. My performance doesn't really matter as long as we win.

Q: Did you ever play with someone even close to Tim Duncan, the ability he has to do everything on the court, be kind of a point guard from a power forward?

Manu Ginobili: I don't think anybody ever played with a guy like him, only guys that have opportunity to play on this team. He's unique, he's so good, he's so gifted.

So we are really lucky of being here, of having the chance to play with him and take proud of him. The fact of playing with him, there's a lot of room for everybody. It's not a secret that the biggest part of this success is because of him.

Stephen Jackson: He definitely makes our job easy.

Q: Is he like the best player in the world?

Stephen Jackson: By far. Especially to me. If you sit down and watch him play, all season, being on this team, see what he does, how easy it makes our job, you definitely have to have respect for him. For him to be two-time MVP, not many guys have done that. For a guy to be two-time MVP, you have to say something, you have to have respect for him, he's definitely a great player.


InsideHoops.com is the online leader in pro basketball coverage.