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The premiere of “Facu” Campazzo in the NBA is coming: how was the debut of all Argentines

20 years after the Argentines first stepped on a field in the NBA, Facundo Campazzo will have its official premiere. With the number 7 Denver Nuggets jersey, the 29-year-old from Cordoba makes his debut this Wednesday, December 23 against the Sacramento Kings.

The match will start at 23, at the Ball Center in Denver, without an audience and will not be televised in Argentina, except for the NBA League Pass.

Campazzo will become the 13th Argentine player to debut in the NBA, and the third from Cordoba, behind Fabricio Oberto and Paul prigioni.

In 2000, Juan Ignacio “Pepe” Sánchez and Rubén Wolkowyski were the first representatives of Argentine basketball to play an official game of the American League. The Bahian base had completed his training at Temple University, while the Chaco pivot jumped directly from the National League after becoming champion with Estudiantes de Olavarría.

On October 31, 2000 the premiere of both coincided, later representatives of the Golden Generation.

Sánchez made his debut in one of the classic venues of the League and of American sport, New York’s Madison Square Garden in the comfortable victory of his Philadelphia Sixers team over the Knicks by 101 to 72. “Pepe” played three minutes and added 2 assists .

Around the same time, in Canada, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, “the Colo” Wolkowiski had his debut at the Seattle Supersonics which lost 88-94 to the Grizzlies. The Chaco collaborated with two rebounds and a cover in 12 minutes.

The feeling

The third Argentine to step on the NBA was the one who achieved the most sensation and impact. Not just because of four titles with the San Antonio Spurs, Emanuel David Ginobili made his mark in the NBA after 16 seasons. Manu was the last Argentine to play, in 2018, and now his place will be occupied by Campazzo.

The Bahian guard, after dominating European basketball and being one of the figures of the national team in the Indianapolis World Cup, as “Facu” with Real Madrid and the team that was also a silver medalist in the 2019 China World Cup , debuted with the Spurs on 10/19/2002 at another “great” stadium, the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In the victory of San Antonio against the Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, by 87 to 82, Manu played 20 minutes and added 7 points (2/5 in doubles, 1/4 triples), 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 retrievers and a lid.

An event. Caused Manu Ginobili in the NBA. (AP / File)

Two years later, on November 2, 2004, already with the gold medal won at the Athens Olympic Games by the national team, Carlos Delfino made his debut.

The Santa Fe shooting guard was, until this year, the highest Argentine selected in the NBA Draft, in 25th place, by the Detroit Pistons. This 2020, Leandro Bolmaro from Cordoba was chosen in the 23rd location by the New York Knicks and immediately decided to Minnesota Timberwolves.

In Detroit’s 87-79 win over the Houston Rockets, Delfino added a rebound (missed a shot) in 13 minutes.

An impressive premiere

The most outstanding debut of an Argentine in the NBA was starred by Andrés Nocioni.

At United Center in Chicago, where “His Majesty” Michael Jordan shone, “Chapu” shone with 17 points (3/13 in doubles, 2/6 triples and 5/10 doubles), plus 15 rebounds and two recoveries in 42 minutes on the court in the Bulls’ 106-111 loss to the New Jersey Nets on November 5, 2004.

“Chapu” vs. LeBron. Nocioni in his NBA debut against young James. (NBA)

Like Delfino, Nocioni had claimed gold at the 2004 Athens Games with the national team. In his debut, the Santa Fe left the court for six personal fouls.

The first Cordovan

Being recognized in the world of basketball and highly respected in Europe, Fabricio Oberto came to the NBA in 2005 to become the first Cordoba to have his debut. Campazzo follows in his footsteps, wearing the same jersey number, 7.

It was precisely with the new team of “Facu”, Denver Nuggets, Oberto’s debut. At SBC Center of San Antonio, in some Spurs that already adored Manu, the man from Las Varillas had his first game on November 1, 2005, scoring 6 points (3/4 in doubles), plus 4 rebounds in 14 minutes in the win by 102 to 91.

A champion. Fabricio Oberto, one of the two Argentines was conquered the title in the NBA. (AP / File)

Along with Ginobili, Oberto is the Argentine who won a championship ring in the NBA. In 2007 with the Spurs, “Fabri” “swept” the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers that at the time featured a young LeBron James, the most dominant player in the league today.

In 2006 Walter Herrmann arrived, who like Oberto, had a past in Athens and champion in the National League with the General Bustos neighborhood club. The Santa Fe forward had his debut on November 10 in the fall of Charlotte Bobcats against Seattle by 99-85 and in six minutes on the court he did not score and dropped a rebound.

In 2007 Luis Scola finally came to the NBA. Dominant of Fiba basketball in Spain and in the national team, the Buenos Aires intern made his debut for the Houston Rockets on November 30, as Ginobili, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in the narrow victory against the Lakers by 95-93.

Scola played 9 minutes in his debut and grabbed three rebounds.

The other Cordovan

Pablo Prigioni was the oldest player, at 35, to make his debut in all of NBA history.

The base of Río Tercero had his debut in the US League in the New York Knicks at the mythical Madison Square Garden with a victory over the Miami Heat by 104 to 89 and contributing three assists and a rebound in 16 minutes on the court on the night of November 2, 2012.

Big. Pablo Prigioni came to the NBA at the age of 35 and made people talk. (AP / File)

The Cordovan, who also performed in the Houston and Los Angeles Clippers, remains in the NBA as a technical assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The contemporaries

After Prigioni, in 2012, several years passed before Argentine basketball once again had its own players in the NBA. At some times, Argentinean talks were common in the run-up to or after games.

National triple. The meetings between Argentines, like this one between Oberto, Nocioni and Ginobili, became common in the NBA. (AP / File)

After an “argenta” drought, lThe last three Argentines with passage in the NBA are contemporaries and companions of Campazzo in the selection in the last processes, such as Nicolás Laprovíttola, Nicolás Brussino and Patricio Garino.

None managed to establish themselves in the American League and they play in basketball in Europe.

Laprovíttola, a former Real Madrid teammate of “Facu”, made his debut at the San Antonio Spurs on October 25, 2016 in a 129-100 win over Golden State Warriors and provided two assists in four minutes on the court.

Brussino, who like Wolkowyski went from the National League to the NBA (from Peñarol de Mar del Plata) and who currently plays in Zaragoza of Spain, had his debut at the Dallas Mavericks on October 26, 2016 in the fall to the Indiana Pacers by 130 to 121. He is the Argentine who played the least in his debut: 35 seconds and gave an assist.

The last premiere was starred by “Pato” Garino, today in Lithuania. On April 4, 2017, he entered the field with the Orlando Magic jersey in the 102-122 loss to Cleveland Cavaliers and in four minutes he had a rebound.

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