 While playing with Argentina's national team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Ginóbili made the All-Tournament Team, alongside future NBA star Yao Ming and established NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojaković, and helped lead Argentina to a second-place finish.Ginóbili joined the Spurs for the 2002–03 NBA season, where he played backup for veteran guard Steve Smith.He spent much of the early season injured, and found it hard to adjust to the NBA's style of play.