HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Manu Ginobili once lost in the NBA Finals in Miami. The following season, they helped them win the NBA title by defeating Miami. And as an Argentine, he fully understands the multicultural atmosphere of the region and what sport means to it.
So now, basketball’s greatest players are investing in Miami’s potential.
Ginobili, a former San Antonio Spurs star, is part of a group building what is called the Sports Performance Hub and what his team calls “the next generation of sports, education and community development projects.” The plan would include a 10,000-seat stadium for United Soccer League team Miami FC, as well as sports training facilities, basketball facilities, a boarding school, a hotel and academic buildings on one campus.
Construction is scheduled to begin in March, with opening expected in 2028.
“You don’t have to be blind to see the growth that Miami has experienced over the last 20 years,” said Ginobili, whose Spurs defeated the Heat in the 2014 finals after losing to Miami the previous season. “I remember when I started going to Miami in 2002, when we made it to the NBA, and it became incredible. And Miami became not only the hub of Latin America, but the hub of the world.”
The $280 million privately funded project has a number of partners working alongside Ginobili. Among them are Miami FC co-owner Riccardo Silva, Argentine great Juan Sebastian Veron, and Argentina’s former top professional soccer player Dario Sala. In recent weeks, the group announced the appointment of longtime sports executive Nick Sakiewicz as CEO.
“If you look at all the backgrounds of our management team, our professional athletes, our shareholders, our co-founders, we all give back to children and the community in so many different ways, including local clinics, camps, and philanthropic events,” Sarah said. “That is the essence of SPH.”
The idea is simple. It combines the best of sports training with the best of academics, and it all ties together in some way. As SPH plans to accept students from all over the world, being close to Miami, a melting pot city and gateway to the world, also has obvious advantages.
Silva has long-standing ties to Miami, with the Miami FC team calling Florida International University’s stadium home since 2016. As real estate continues to grow in South Florida, Silva said he sees an advantage in going to Homestead, 55 miles south of downtown Miami, where he said there is much more room for development.
Homestead is located on the southern tip of Miami-Dade County and is known for events such as the annual Homestead-Miami Speedway, home to NASCAR, and the Homestead Championship Rodeo.
Local officials have praised the idea, with Mayor Steve Rosner saying late last year that the facility “could be an incredible asset while providing long-term benefits to the local economy.”
Documents filed with city officials also show that the first phase of construction will include tennis and pickleball courts, walking trails and a playground, followed by the addition of training facilities, athlete development programs, a performance technology center and more.
“I think this academy is going to be a huge advantage for Miami and Miami and the academy. So it’s a mutual relationship,” Silva said. “As Manu said, this is a hub not just for all of America, but for the world. The best schools in the world have waiting lists. I’ve experienced this with my children. Every family is looking for a good school, and these kinds of academies are needed right now, not just here, but around the world.”
A project like this probably would have been unimaginable when Ginobili was in the NBA playing against the Heat. And while he remains loyal to San Antonio, he echoed his partners in believing Miami is the best location for his latest venture.
“We’ll have access to the latest technology and all the developments,” Ginobili said. “We have pretty high standards. We consider this our project and something we wish we had done when we were kids. It’s a very difficult job, but it’s going to be a very rewarding learning process for all of us.”
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