San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (R) holds the NBA MVP trophy as teammate Tony Parker watches after the Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals in San Antonio, Texas, June 23, 2005. The Spurs defeated the Pistons 81-74 to win the NBA Championship.(Reuters)

Manu Ginobili had the ball in his hands on nearly every possession late in the San Antonio Spurs' biggest game of the season — and he didn't drop it once.

The freewheeling forward from Bahia Blanca, Argentina, capped an amazing five-year run at almost every level of elite basketball with an outstanding performance in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Ginobili scored 23 points in the San Antonio Spurs' 81-74 victory, ending his breakthrough playoff series with another impressive game. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including six in the final minute, and didn't make a turnover as the Spurs held off one last charge by the Detroit Pistons.

"I really didn't feel it that much," Ginobili said of the fourth-quarter pressure. "I was so focused and concentrated on trying to do the right thing that I didn't even know what was going on around me. I just looked at the clock and tried to make the right decision."

At the final buzzer, all the Spurs seemed to be trying to hug Ginobili, who raced across the court and pointed at his family in the stands. He averaged 18.7 points per game in the series, and the few basketball fans who didn't know his scintillating game got a look at Ginobili's best.

"They are kissing each other," he said gesturing toward his family in the stands. "I'd definitely like to be hugging them, too."

Though Tim Duncan was voted the series MVP, there was little doubt Ginobili was the people's choice. The San Antonio crowd chanted "Manu! Manu!" when commissioner David Stern prepared to present the trophy, and there was scattered booing when Duncan's name was about to be announced.

Ginobili has done little wrong in his sport since 2001, when he won the first of two straight championships in the top Italian league. He won his first NBA title as a rookie reserve with the Spurs in 2003.

He then led Argentina to a gold medal in the Athens Olympics, forever endearing himself to his nation — and every nation whose fans disliked the American dominance of the event. Ginobili wore Argentine shorts on the court after Game 7.

And with the Spurs nursing a lead in the final minutes of the NBA season, Ginobili clearly wasn't intimidated by the stage. With the shot clock winding down with 2:57 to play, he hit a 3-pointer from the right wing and ran back upcourt with both fists clenched.

The crowd exploded when Ginobili scored on a driving layup with 35 seconds left. He then hit two free throws with 22 seconds left, earning a big hug from Duncan — and two more with 7 seconds to play.

When the buzzer sounded and confetti fell, reserve Sean Marks picked up Ginobili in a reverse bear hug, and he flailed his arms and legs with childlike excitement.

The fans simply love Ginobili, who has become a particular favorite among the vast Hispanic and Latino communities of San Antonio.

But Ginobili is more than a heartthrob: He's a leading icon of Stern's urgent move to globalize the league. With his good looks, flashy game and flashier jewelry, it won't be surprising if Ginobili soon is among the most recognized athletes in the world.

Ginobili put on a show in the first two games of the finals, scoring 53 points and wowing the crowd with countless daredevil drives. But the Pistons wised up when the series moved back to the Detroit suburbs, using several defenders to limit his charges to the basket.

Ginobili was revived back at home in Game 6 with 21 points and 10 rebounds, also playing superb defense — but he vowed to make up for his tentative play in the fourth quarter of that loss.

"I think we did a whole lot better (in Game 7)," Ginobili said with a grin.

(Agencies)