Fabricio Oberto
Encyclopedia
Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto (born March 21, 1975) is an Argentine
professional basketball
player. At and 245 pounds (111.1 kg), he plays as a center
. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece. In 2005, Oberto signed with the San Antonio Spurs
, a team of the American National Basketball Association
, and won a championship with the Spurs in 2007
. He is also a member of the Argentina national basketball team
.
, one of the most important basketball clubs in Argentina, and was selected to start the following year, and started playing professionally later that year. In 1998, after being chosen MVP
of the finals of the Argentine league
, he transferred to the Greek League
club Olympiacos
, starting his Euroleague
experience that would take him to the Spanish League's TAU Cerámica
a year later. After 2 seasons with TAU, he moved to Pamesa Valencia in 2002.
7.5 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs
of the NBA
, where he joined fellow Argentine
Manu Ginóbili
. He kept jersey #7, the same number used with the Argentine national team. Oberto was the oldest rookie in Spurs history at the age of 31.
During the first year of his NBA stint, Oberto was no longer the key player he had been in Europe, playing less than 9 minutes per game on average. He nonetheless was very satisfied with his role on the Spurs, a perennial championship contender.
In his second NBA season, Oberto became more of a factor in the Spurs rotation—starting in some games and getting his first double-double on November 8 when he scored 22 points (11/11 field goals) and pulled down 10 rebounds. He also became a pivotal player for the Spurs during the 2006–2007 Western Conference Finals, averaging 31 minutes and 14 points in the first two games of the series.
On June 23, 2009, Oberto was traded to the Detroit Pistons
as a part of a three-team trade among Pistons, Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks
, which included Richard Jefferson
. Then he was immediately waived by the Pistons.
On August 11, 2009, he was officially signed by the Wizards. Since jersey number 7 was already taken by Andray Blatche
, he chose to wear number 21 because of his birth date (March 21) and in honor of one of his idols, former teammate Tim Duncan
. After a single season in which he got limited playing time as the team struggled through the Gilbert Arenas gun incident and ultimately began to rebuild, he became a free agent once more in the summer of 2010.
Oberto once more was part of the Argentine National Team for the 2010 FIBA World Championship
, and was an important contributor to Argentina's fifth-place finish. After his solid play during the World Championship in Turkey
, he received multiple offers from European teams, most notably Efes Pilsen and Real Madrid
. Oberto, however, decided to continue to wait for an opportunity to sign with an NBA team. He eventually reached an agreement to join the Portland Trail Blazers
for the 2010–11 season. However, on November 4, 2010, after playing five games for Portland, he began experiencing palpitations related to a previous heart condition and decided to retire in order to preserve his health.
.
In July 2011, Oberto announced that he was coming out of retirement to play in the FIBA Americas Championship
. He said that doctors had cleared him to participate.
. Oberto and his wife, Lorena, have a daughter, Julia, who was born in the summer of 2005. He also enjoys playing the guitar and his favorite bands include Pearl Jam
, Nirvana
, Foo Fighters
, U2
and Metallica
.
On June 4, 2009, Oberto underwent a successful ablation procedure. The procedure was done to correct the electrical system of the heart that was sending Oberto into atrial fibrillation
. Oberto’s procedure was performed at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin by Dr. Andrea Natale.
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 59 || 0 || 8.3 || .473 || .000 || .556 || 2.1 || .5 || .2 || .2 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 79 || 33 || 17.3 || .562 || .000 || .647 || 4.7 || .9 || .3 || .3 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 64 || 20.1 || .608 || .000 || .607 || 5.2 || 1.2 || .4 || .2 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 54 || 11 || 12.5 || .587 || .000 || .571 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .1 || .2 || 2.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Washington
| 57 || 20 || 11.4 || .625 || .000 || .765 || 1.8 || .9 || .2 || .2 || 1.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Portland
| 5 || 0 || 9.0 || .600 || .000 || .500 || 1.4 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 336 || 128 || 14.5 || .576 || .000 || .617 || 3.5 || .9 || .3 || .2 || 3.2
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 7 || 0 || 4.9 || .333 || .000 || .250 || .9 || .1 || .1 || .4 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 20 || 12 || 20.8 || .625 || .000 || .571 || 4.9 || .7 || .3 || .2 || 5.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 17 || 9 || 19.5 || .609 || .000 || .700 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .3 || .3 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 2 || 0 || 11.0 || .667 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || .0 || 1.0 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 46 || 21 || 17.4 || .603 || .000 || .615 || 3.9 || .8 || .3 || .3 || 4.2
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. At and 245 pounds (111.1 kg), he plays as a center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece. In 2005, Oberto signed with the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, a team of the American National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and won a championship with the Spurs in 2007
2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland...
. He is also a member of the Argentina national basketball team
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....
.
Argentina and Europe
At age 17, Oberto went to a trial at Atenas de CórdobaAsociación Deportiva Atenas
Asociación Deportiva Atenas, known simply as Atenas or Atenas de Córdoba, is a sports club based in Córdoba, Argentina. It was founded in 1938 and is mostly known for its achievements in basketball...
, one of the most important basketball clubs in Argentina, and was selected to start the following year, and started playing professionally later that year. In 1998, after being chosen MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the finals of the Argentine league
Liga Nacional de Básquetbol
The Liga Nacional de Básquet is the top level of the Argentine basketball league system. The league is controlled by the Basketball Clubs' Association...
, he transferred to the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
club Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
, starting his Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
experience that would take him to the Spanish League's TAU Cerámica
Saski Baskonia
Saski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
a year later. After 2 seasons with TAU, he moved to Pamesa Valencia in 2002.
NBA career
In 2005, after voiding his contract with Pamesa, Oberto signed a 3-year, US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7.5 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, where he joined fellow Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
. He kept jersey #7, the same number used with the Argentine national team. Oberto was the oldest rookie in Spurs history at the age of 31.
During the first year of his NBA stint, Oberto was no longer the key player he had been in Europe, playing less than 9 minutes per game on average. He nonetheless was very satisfied with his role on the Spurs, a perennial championship contender.
In his second NBA season, Oberto became more of a factor in the Spurs rotation—starting in some games and getting his first double-double on November 8 when he scored 22 points (11/11 field goals) and pulled down 10 rebounds. He also became a pivotal player for the Spurs during the 2006–2007 Western Conference Finals, averaging 31 minutes and 14 points in the first two games of the series.
On June 23, 2009, Oberto was traded to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
as a part of a three-team trade among Pistons, Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, which included Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
. Then he was immediately waived by the Pistons.
On August 11, 2009, he was officially signed by the Wizards. Since jersey number 7 was already taken by Andray Blatche
Andray Blatche
Andray Blatche is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.-High school:...
, he chose to wear number 21 because of his birth date (March 21) and in honor of one of his idols, former teammate Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
. After a single season in which he got limited playing time as the team struggled through the Gilbert Arenas gun incident and ultimately began to rebuild, he became a free agent once more in the summer of 2010.
Oberto once more was part of the Argentine National Team for the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
, and was an important contributor to Argentina's fifth-place finish. After his solid play during the World Championship in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, he received multiple offers from European teams, most notably Efes Pilsen and Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
. Oberto, however, decided to continue to wait for an opportunity to sign with an NBA team. He eventually reached an agreement to join the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
for the 2010–11 season. However, on November 4, 2010, after playing five games for Portland, he began experiencing palpitations related to a previous heart condition and decided to retire in order to preserve his health.
Argentine national team
Oberto started playing with Argentina shortly before his 20th birthday in 1995, and since then has won a number of tournaments including the 2004 Olympic gold medal matchBasketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
.
In July 2011, Oberto announced that he was coming out of retirement to play in the FIBA Americas Championship
FIBA Americas Championship
The FIBA Americas Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the American Basketball Championship that take place every two years between national teams of the continents...
. He said that doctors had cleared him to participate.
Titles
- 1994 Argentine Young League (Atenas)
- 1994 Panamericano de Clubes (Atenas)
- 1995 Silver Medal Tournament of the Americas (Argentina)
- 1996 Panamericano de Clubes (Atenas)
- 1997 Liga SudamericanaLiga SudamericanaThe Liga Sudamericana is the second most important South American basketball tournament at club level, the first being the FIBA Americas League. It is organized by the South American Basketball Confederation.The league usually includes domestic champions, and some runner-ups, from the leading...
(Atenas) - 1998 Liga Sudamericana (Atenas)
- 1998 Argentine LeagueLiga Nacional de BásquetbolThe Liga Nacional de Básquet is the top level of the Argentine basketball league system. The league is controlled by the Basketball Clubs' Association...
(AtenasAsociación Deportiva AtenasAsociación Deportiva Atenas, known simply as Atenas or Atenas de Córdoba, is a sports club based in Córdoba, Argentina. It was founded in 1938 and is mostly known for its achievements in basketball... - 2001 Golden Medal Tournament of the Americas (Argentina)
- 2002 Copa del Rey (TAU Cerámica)
- 2002 Spanish LeagueAsociación de Clubs de BaloncestoThe Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
(TAU CerámicaSaski BaskoniaSaski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
) - 2002 Silver Medal World Cup IndianapolisIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
2002 (Argentina) - 2003 ULEB Cup (Pamesa Valencia)
- 2003 Silver Medal Tournament of the Americas (Argentina)
- 2004 Olympic Gold MedalBasketball at the 2004 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
(Argentina) - 2007 NBA Champion
- 2011 Golden Medal Tournament of the Americas (Argentina)
Personal
Oberto was born in in Las Varillas, Córdoba, ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Oberto and his wife, Lorena, have a daughter, Julia, who was born in the summer of 2005. He also enjoys playing the guitar and his favorite bands include Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
.
On June 4, 2009, Oberto underwent a successful ablation procedure. The procedure was done to correct the electrical system of the heart that was sending Oberto into atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia . It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating , instead of achieving coordinated contraction...
. Oberto’s procedure was performed at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin by Dr. Andrea Natale.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 59 || 0 || 8.3 || .473 || .000 || .556 || 2.1 || .5 || .2 || .2 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 79 || 33 || 17.3 || .562 || .000 || .647 || 4.7 || .9 || .3 || .3 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 64 || 20.1 || .608 || .000 || .607 || 5.2 || 1.2 || .4 || .2 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 54 || 11 || 12.5 || .587 || .000 || .571 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .1 || .2 || 2.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 57 || 20 || 11.4 || .625 || .000 || .765 || 1.8 || .9 || .2 || .2 || 1.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
| 5 || 0 || 9.0 || .600 || .000 || .500 || 1.4 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 336 || 128 || 14.5 || .576 || .000 || .617 || 3.5 || .9 || .3 || .2 || 3.2
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2005–06
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 7 || 0 || 4.9 || .333 || .000 || .250 || .9 || .1 || .1 || .4 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 20 || 12 || 20.8 || .625 || .000 || .571 || 4.9 || .7 || .3 || .2 || 5.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 17 || 9 || 19.5 || .609 || .000 || .700 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .3 || .3 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 2 || 0 || 11.0 || .667 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.0 || .0 || 1.0 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 46 || 21 || 17.4 || .603 || .000 || .615 || 3.9 || .8 || .3 || .3 || 4.2