This weekend 13 legends will join the Basketball Hall of Fame:
And while there is no shortage of star power, there is one player who stands out from the crowd: Manu Ginobili.
Selected 57th overall in the 1999 NBA draft, Ginobili is one of the best international players who have set foot on an NBA court. He finished his career with a couple of All-Star and All-NBA selections, a sixth man of the year award and four championships.
Ginobili played a key role in the incredible dominance of San Antonio for two decadesforming one of the winningest trios in NBA history alongside the Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and potential future Hall of Famer Tony Parker.
In honor of his entrance best sixth man of all time in the Hall of Fame, shared by members of TSN’s English team, from the United States and Australia How will Ginobili’s career be remembered? in six words or less.
Scott Rafferty (@crabdribbles): Manu Ginobili was a real winner.
We’re talking about a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA member of the team that was more than happy to be a substitute. He played his role to perfection. Everyone knows its iconic eurostepbut Ginobili he was sharp and an excellent passer. The combination enabled him not only to play but also to prospers next to none.
The results speak for themselves. Beyond the four leagues, Spurs won 72.1% of games Ginobili appeared in. It’s 10th all-time. The problem? None of the players ahead of him played as many games as him (1,051).
Oh and only seven players have more playoff wins than Ginobili. It was big.
At the end, Ginobili is someone every team in the league would love to have on their roster.. His resume may not be stellar, but he really was.
The icing on the cake: Watching Ginobili was so much fun. I never thought those Spurs teams were boring, but there’s no denying that he brought a very welcome style, on a basket and a reverse triple at the same time.
Gilbert McGregor (@GMcGregor21): Manu Ginobili was a fearless competitor.
When I look back on my most vivid memories of Ginobili’s career, I am reminded of this no moment was too long and no stakes were too high for him.
At the end, You don’t play a key role in winning four titles without being fearless.
Ginobili won at every level: Except from four titles with Spursled to Virtus Bologna wins the Euroleague title in 2001 and, in one of the most important moments in sports history, He led Argentina to Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games.
In a time when there was various all-time shooting guard greatsginobili faced each of them on the biggest stages. From Kobe Bryant to Dwyane Wademany expressed her utmost respect for Ginobili as a player and competitor.
Ginobili’s competitiveness soaked fear of opposing fanslike me, who was devastated when he almost single-handedly turned the tables on me New Orleans Hornets in the 2008 Western Conference semifinals.
Manu, Sixth Man of the Year in the 2007-08 seasonentered the starting lineup after the Spurs lost the first two games of the series. As a starter, Ginobili averaged 23.4 points the rest of the series.including 31 points in Game 3 and 26 in the deciding Game 7.
Within 11 days, Ginobili showed his unselfishness and the fearlessness of his competitive naturefor which she will soon be immortalized in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Kyle Irving (@kyleirv_): Manu Ginobili made Eurostep famous.
When asked why I would remember it most new member of the Hall of FameThe first thing that came to my mind was eurostep.
It’s true that other players have used the move before him, but Ginobili was the player who turned the Eurostep into one of the most effective moves in the NBA. Nowadays.
His explosive first step and body control to stop at a moment and change pace joined the cunning of his game. I vividly remember watching Ginobili’s Nike Hoops Eurostep tutorial on YouTube as a kid, then going out and practicing it to try to add it to my own game.
Scott and Gil have already nailed Ginobili’s winning, competitive nature, but signing the Eurostep may be his most lasting legacy in modern basketball.
Benyam Kidane (@BenyamKidane): Teamwork to win.
Has there been a more self-sacrificing superstar in recent memory?
Ginobili, a two-time All Star, he could easily start for 29 other teams in the leaguebut his willingness to not only accept an off-the-bench role, but thrive in it, proved a key ingredient in what made those Spurs teams so special and successful.
Ginobili came off the bench in 708 of his 1,057 games regular season, giving the San Antonio Spurs a balanced offensive rotation and tearing up defenses when Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were rested. But in the most important moments Ginobili was there in the final stretch to provide a decisive basket, a block, a charge or whatever else the team needed.
This is what Ginobili wanted to… win.
In the wise words of Juice WRLD: “In the last quarter, playing like Kobe, I’m a super winner like Ginobili”.
Michael Adams (@micahadams13): The most underrated superstar of his generation.
Yes now it is one Member of the Hall of Fame.
Yes, it is possible best sixth man of all time.
And yet still I’m not sure NBA fans really appreciate Ginobili’s game.
Because of his legendary unselfishness, his sacrifices in San Antonio and the slower style of Gregg Popovich, Ginobili’s individual accolades do not stand out on paper. In 20 years, fans will look back on his career, see two All-Star appearances and average 13.3 points per game and you might be wondering what happened.
To fully appreciate how much of a star Ginobili was -and yes, it was a STAR- you have to go deeper.
During his best seven yearswho were crowned by the two All-Star selections in 2004-05 and 2010-11;Spurs only finished once top 20 pace. The same period, Ginobili averaged over 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per 100 possessions.. The only other players to hit those milestones in that time? LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Tracy McGrady.
When it comes to Ginobili’s legacy, the discussion has to go beyond the best international players and the best sixth men. Ginobili was on the field one of the best players of his generation, period.
Now that the Spurs legend is entering Springfield, we would all be wise to fully appreciate a true Hall of Fame game.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the NBA or its organizations.
