If you thought the action on the court was tense in the Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs series, wait until you hear about what's been going on for a trio of players' significant others.
In what has got to be a record for a playoff series, two players' wives and one's fiancee have given birth since Game 1. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Shawn Marion have each welcomed a baby boy into their families.
Ginobili's wife, Marianela, was the first to give birth. The couple's third son, Luca, was born hours after the Spurs took Game 1 of the series. Ginobili got up early to accompany his wife to the hospital, sat through her C-section and rushed back to practice. Still, coach Gregg Popovich was not impressed.
“He went in there this morning and a half hour later he was back at practice. Pretty efficient guy,” Popovich said. “I told him, ‘Manu, you didn’t do anything. Your wife is efficient. You're not efficient. You didn’t do anything.’”
Thrilled to announce that today at 7.47am, Luca, our 3rd boy was born. Wifey and the baby are both doing great. #SuperHappyDad
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) April 21, 2014
After playing 35 minutes and scoring 20 points in Dallas' Game 2 victory over the Spurs, forward Shawn Marion boarded team owner Mark Cuban's private jet for Chicago. He arrived at the hospital about half an hour after his wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy named Shawn. Even though he missed the delivery, Marion was still elated when he spoke to reporters later.
“It was great, though, an incredible feeling,” Marion said. “Everything worked out very, very well. I have a beautiful, healthy son.”
On April 30, hours before Game 5, Parker's fiancee, Axelle Francine, gave birth to the couple's first son, Josh. Even though Parker was with Francine in the hospital and suffering from a mild sprain on his left ankle, he still started the crucial game and led the Spurs with 23 points in San Antonio's victory.
