Manu Ginobili, a four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs between 2003 and 2014 and an Olympic gold medalist with Argentina at the Athens Games in 2004, is one of eleven finalists in the vintage Hall of Fame of the 2022 North American Basketball Championship.
Ginobili has only seen one jersey in the NBA for 16 years, the one in black and white that collided with the Spurs, forming one of the most terrible “Big3” in history, next to Tim Duncan, already present in the Hall of Fame. and Frenchman Tony Parker, who will soon be joining them. Together, under coach Greg Popovic, they made the Texas team one of the most dominant in the 2000s.
“El Manu” is not yet accepted in the Pantheon. He will know whether or not it is on April 2, for an official introduction scheduled for the weekend of September 9 and 10 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
But there is no doubt that this whimsical player with a unique talent, explosive in a league where physical skills precede and with an unwavering thirst for victory, is honored.
Two other former NBA stars should be: Michael Cooper, five-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers during the Magic Johnson era in the 1980s, and Tim Hardaway, a formidable dribbler and entertainer when he played in the Golden State and in Miami in the 90s. was selected five times in the All-Star Game.
The other eight finalists are former Milwaukee player Marques Johnson, four-time WNBA champion Lindsay Whalen and three-time WNBA champion Swin Cash, each of whom has won two Olympic gold medals, as well as Hugh Evans. NBA for 28 years. , and coaches Leta Andrews, Marianne Stanley, Bob Huggins and George Karl.
