Fidel Castro He is known worldwide for many aspects of his political and social life and is definitely one of the most important people of the last century. However, a facet little explored is his love for the sport and the supposed invention of one of Manu Ginóbili’s most iconic ball movements in basketball.
Was this the case or is it a myth? On a new anniversary of the birth of the Cuban revolutionary leader We tell you this fascinating unknown story.
Did Fidel Castro create Manu Ginóbili’s Euro-Step?
The “Euro Step”, also known as a double or long lateral step, is a play in basketball in which the player with the ball stops dribbling, takes a step in one direction, and then quickly takes a second step in another direction. . The idea is that the offensive player can avoid a defender and get to the rim to score.
This movement popularized in the NBA by Manu Ginóbili, and became his trademark. However, the name is because the basketball player who first spread it in North America was the Lithuanian Šarūnas Marčiulionis in 1989. Even so, there were always doubts about its origin and one of the most iconic legends is the one that attributes this movement to none other than Fidel Castro.
According to recently published and declassified documents, Castro reportedly began using this movement in basketball games with friends and advisers after taking power in 1959.. In fact there are photos of the Commander playing where he can be seen doing the iconic move.
The popularization of the “Euro Step”
One of the images of Fidel Castro doing what appears to be the “euro step”.
In the 1960s, activists and representatives from around the world visited Cuba, and it is believed that it was through these gatherings that Castro’s innovation spread. Figures like Stokely Carmichael and Robert F. Williams brought knowledge of this technique to their respective countries, contributing to its spread.
Players like Elgin Baylor, Archie Clark and Julius Erving used the move in the 1960s and 1970s, but it was only in recent years that it became popular thanks to international players like Sarunas Marciulionis and Manu Ginobili. The adoption of the “Euro Step” by American-born players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Dwyane Wade also contributed to its fame. For Ginóbili, likewise, the movement does not belong to one person, but to all basketball lovers and no one can claim “his invention of it.”
2023-08-13 11:04:34
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