TMTTRIO
03-30-2005, 01:31 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA033005.1C.BKNspurs.sonics.adv.1890c0fe4.html
Ginobili follows own path toward leadership status
Web Posted: 03/30/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Manu Ginobili doesn't have Avery Johnson's fire-and-brimstone speeches. Or Mario Elie's four-letter vocabulary. Or even the icy stare Tim Duncan employs on occasion.
He hasn't grabbed Rasho Nesterovic's jersey, as Elie once did to David Robinson, and demanded he dunk. He hasn't stood in the bus, as Robinson did, and delivered a pep talk.
He lacks Kevin Willis' experience, as well as his chiseled 7-foot presence. His accent is Spanish, not Southern-fried like Johnson's. :lol
And yet, in these trying times, with Duncan on the sidelines and the playoffs approaching, Ginobili has led and the Spurs have followed.
"He commands that kind of respect from his teammates," coach Gregg Popovich said, "and I think he's just beginning to realize that."
While Ginobili has begun to talk more in timeouts and other on-court situations, he's a firm believer in how loudly actions speak. He watched, angrily, on the bench Friday night as the Spurs' 23-point lead on Atlanta became seven. Once he returned to the floor, he bulled his way to the basket on six-straight possessions.
Ginobili scored on each. The Spurs beat the Hawks 111-95.
With the score tied in the final quarter against Houston on Sunday, Ginobili stripped the ball from Yao Ming underneath the Rockets' basket and dashed the length of the court to draw a foul. A couple of minutes later, he knocked the ball loose from Tracy McGrady and drove for a layup.
Ginobili's energy and Brent Barry's torrid shooting fueled the Spurs as they outscored Houston 21-2.
"When he plays with that kind of passion," Sean Marks said, "how can you not try to copy him?"
Ginobili's fearlessness has earned him the admiration of teammates and opponents. Last month, Shaquille O'Neal marveled at how Ginobili challenged him by taking the ball to the rim. For the past two weeks, the Spurs have watched him grind on heavy legs.
Now in his third season in the NBA, Ginobili has grown more confident with his position on the team.
His new contract and elevation into the starting lineup affirmed the franchise's faith in him. His selection to the All-Star team showed how much opposing coaches value his contributions. His sense of humor and warm personality, the same qualities that have won over fans and media, have made him well-liked in the locker room.
Ginobili still isn't comfortable enough to chide teammates as openly as he did Argentina's national team in the Olympics. In Italy, where Ginobili and Los Angeles Clippers guard Marko Jaric led Kinder Bologna together, he also confidently spoke out when necessary.
In both places, however, he grew into that role.
"It's not something you can impose on a player," Ginobili said. "Even if Pop wanted me to do it, he can't tell me to do it. You have to feel it.
"My biggest concern now is to not let the team be flat. I just prefer, in this moment, to be contagious with my energy and aggressiveness and have that (anger) inside of you — a good (anger)."
Robert Horry's experience and cool demeanor, Popovich said, also has been valuable during Duncan's absence. Duncan, meanwhile, has continued to coax his teammates from the sidelines and provide advice during timeouts
Neither Duncan nor Horry, however, had to overcome a language barrier to develop their communication skills. Though Ginobili's English is good, he sometimes speaks as he plays: frenzied.
"It's a definite drawback in a leadership situation because you just naturally defer to other people first," Popovich said, "Manu is just getting over that."
Ginobili still reverts to Spanish when he's really angry. (It's easier to avoid a technical foul if the referees can't understand you.) :lol
And sometimes Popovich does enough cursing for everyone: Teammates are more inclined to accept advice if the coach didn't light a player up five minutes earlier for winging the ball into section 103.
So, for now, Ginobili thinks his best leadership is done by example. But on occasion, as he did after last week's loss in Indiana, he will speak up.
Then, Ginobili made it clear that each player, including himself, needed to raise his aggressiveness if the Spurs intended to win without Duncan.
"If you finish the game and you lose because your main guy is not there and the other team did better, OK," Ginobili said. "If you miss shots or make turnovers, that's one thing.
"But you can't lose because you're flat. I won't accept that."
Ginobili follows own path toward leadership status
Web Posted: 03/30/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Manu Ginobili doesn't have Avery Johnson's fire-and-brimstone speeches. Or Mario Elie's four-letter vocabulary. Or even the icy stare Tim Duncan employs on occasion.
He hasn't grabbed Rasho Nesterovic's jersey, as Elie once did to David Robinson, and demanded he dunk. He hasn't stood in the bus, as Robinson did, and delivered a pep talk.
He lacks Kevin Willis' experience, as well as his chiseled 7-foot presence. His accent is Spanish, not Southern-fried like Johnson's. :lol
And yet, in these trying times, with Duncan on the sidelines and the playoffs approaching, Ginobili has led and the Spurs have followed.
"He commands that kind of respect from his teammates," coach Gregg Popovich said, "and I think he's just beginning to realize that."
While Ginobili has begun to talk more in timeouts and other on-court situations, he's a firm believer in how loudly actions speak. He watched, angrily, on the bench Friday night as the Spurs' 23-point lead on Atlanta became seven. Once he returned to the floor, he bulled his way to the basket on six-straight possessions.
Ginobili scored on each. The Spurs beat the Hawks 111-95.
With the score tied in the final quarter against Houston on Sunday, Ginobili stripped the ball from Yao Ming underneath the Rockets' basket and dashed the length of the court to draw a foul. A couple of minutes later, he knocked the ball loose from Tracy McGrady and drove for a layup.
Ginobili's energy and Brent Barry's torrid shooting fueled the Spurs as they outscored Houston 21-2.
"When he plays with that kind of passion," Sean Marks said, "how can you not try to copy him?"
Ginobili's fearlessness has earned him the admiration of teammates and opponents. Last month, Shaquille O'Neal marveled at how Ginobili challenged him by taking the ball to the rim. For the past two weeks, the Spurs have watched him grind on heavy legs.
Now in his third season in the NBA, Ginobili has grown more confident with his position on the team.
His new contract and elevation into the starting lineup affirmed the franchise's faith in him. His selection to the All-Star team showed how much opposing coaches value his contributions. His sense of humor and warm personality, the same qualities that have won over fans and media, have made him well-liked in the locker room.
Ginobili still isn't comfortable enough to chide teammates as openly as he did Argentina's national team in the Olympics. In Italy, where Ginobili and Los Angeles Clippers guard Marko Jaric led Kinder Bologna together, he also confidently spoke out when necessary.
In both places, however, he grew into that role.
"It's not something you can impose on a player," Ginobili said. "Even if Pop wanted me to do it, he can't tell me to do it. You have to feel it.
"My biggest concern now is to not let the team be flat. I just prefer, in this moment, to be contagious with my energy and aggressiveness and have that (anger) inside of you — a good (anger)."
Robert Horry's experience and cool demeanor, Popovich said, also has been valuable during Duncan's absence. Duncan, meanwhile, has continued to coax his teammates from the sidelines and provide advice during timeouts
Neither Duncan nor Horry, however, had to overcome a language barrier to develop their communication skills. Though Ginobili's English is good, he sometimes speaks as he plays: frenzied.
"It's a definite drawback in a leadership situation because you just naturally defer to other people first," Popovich said, "Manu is just getting over that."
Ginobili still reverts to Spanish when he's really angry. (It's easier to avoid a technical foul if the referees can't understand you.) :lol
And sometimes Popovich does enough cursing for everyone: Teammates are more inclined to accept advice if the coach didn't light a player up five minutes earlier for winging the ball into section 103.
So, for now, Ginobili thinks his best leadership is done by example. But on occasion, as he did after last week's loss in Indiana, he will speak up.
Then, Ginobili made it clear that each player, including himself, needed to raise his aggressiveness if the Spurs intended to win without Duncan.
"If you finish the game and you lose because your main guy is not there and the other team did better, OK," Ginobili said. "If you miss shots or make turnovers, that's one thing.
"But you can't lose because you're flat. I won't accept that."