ElNono
04-07-2015, 01:54 AM
This one is more Spurs related. I thought it was a pretty good interview.
Original in Spanish here: http://canchallena.lanacion.com.ar/1782280-tengo-casi-38-anos-y-sigo-jugando-en-un-equipo-de-elite-es-una-situacion-inmejorable
Manu Ginóbili: “I’m almost 38 years old and I’m still playing in an elite team; It’s the best situation”
A much less ambitious Manu Ginóbili and with different priorities talks about what could be his last season in the NBA.
SAN ANTONIO.- The Spurs’ press room has images of every player hanging from the walls. In each one of them, they’re executing a play. Manu’s one is in the center of the place, but his picture has him screaming, one of those celebrations that he stamps on everyone’s soul. At 38 years old he still embodies the blood of this team. He’s the spirit, the brains, although he feels he’s not the muscle anymore. And as he goes talking about this season, all the roads take him to the end of his career. He won’t say it, because he would never rush to say something like that or say something he’ll regret later, but there’s not a lot of time left. Things have changed a lot. Amongst them, his way of thinking, something he’s very direct about.
- Playoffs are coming, and the team is shaping into form. What do you guys do to provoke that change?
- There are no secrets on what happened. We started to play better, getting more confident, there’s more players playing well and we started to be more responsible of what we do and we’re doing it for longer. I think in the last two weeks, after that incredible game we lost against the Knicks, it looks like we’ve been better and we’re shaping up to be the team we want to be. So it’s good, it’s a bit late in the season, but we’re here. We’re trying to finish amongst the top 3. So things worked themselves out.
- Can you find stability in the playoffs? Can you flip the switch there?
- The playoffs are a different story, totally new, and it doesn’t mean a whole lot what you’ve done before. We might start without being the best team we can be, and it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to be eliminated. We’re all optimists and we believe we can get far, but you can also lose right away and there’s no time to react. Last season everybody talked about the game we played, how wonderful it was, but the reality is that we were real close to be out in the first round (Spurs beat Dallas in Game 7). In the West anything can happen. You have to take it easy and be focused when it matter, otherwise you go home.
- There doesn’t seem to be a clear favorite and it looks like anybody can win it all. Does that build confidence?
- It’s extremely clear everybody has a shot. Golden State was the better team during the regular season, because they’ve played at an extremely high level and because their confidence is sky high. But even then, the playoffs is an area where they don’t have a lot of experience. You have to wait and see what happens in the playoffs. They were definitely the best team. But in close series, with the crowd on your side, everything perfect, you can’t hit a shot, the opponent is inspired, you end up 0-1 and everything changes. The 65 games you won earlier don’t mean a thing. It has happened to us to be the #1 seed and end up empty handed. So all of this works out ok to get home court advantage, but nothing else.
- How are you feeling after that sprain?
- I had a couple of complicated weeks, first with a virus, I kind hurried back, played 8 minutes and I was falling apart. Then I sprain the ankle, but it was only 8 days out, so here I am, trying to feel good. I’m healthy, I have the usual pains for this age and this time of the season. But I can’t complain.
- That “I can’t complain”, is that because you’re doing what you set to do this season?
- Yes. I had some up and downs. But now I’m focused, I tried to enjoy the road not just the finish line. December was very tough, the rodeo road trip too. It took me a while to overcome that. But in general I try to stick to the new philosophy that I have, enjoy the day to day more and don’t stress out about the results. In all honesty I couldn’t do it because it’s been too many years living at a different rhythm, but right now I’m fine again. Now the season stabilizes, the schedule is a lot friendlier, there are not that many trips… I’m more balanced now.
- When did that change you mentioned happened?
- After that season we lost (2013 vs Miami). I told myself I either do that, or I retire and go do something else. I couldn't be suffering like that. I had a tough time, first because of the injuries, and then because I couldn’t give my best to the team when it most needed it. That burned my brain. That’s why I said, I either change or I move onto something else, because that’s not healthy.
- Did that affect you all the time?
- It was difficult in general, having that pressure in my head. It’s not like I got home and was still sad, but it did affect me. I decided it would affect me as little as possible. At times during this season I was able to handle it, sometimes I could not, but in general I’m more relaxed, I take the drama away a lot more. I think this also happens when you reach this age. There’s some maturity and you think: I’m almost 38, I’m still playing in an elite team; it’s the best situation. And then I start accepting I can’t play like I did in 2008 or so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the day. That’s where I changed a bit.
- Sometimes you’re a bit more upset with the referees, are you more tired? Is that harder to handle now?
- I don’t notice anything different. I always was passionate and temperamental. I try to enjoy, but, if I have 3 turnovers in a row in a game I just heat up. I get desperate. But then when you walk back to the bench I calm down, I talk to a teammate, the pulse slows down. In the past, I would be pissed for a day or two. But in general, I’m more calm now.
- That kind of control, do you work at it alone?
- Yes, I convince myself.
- You’re not a friend of psychologists?
- I like psychology. It’s been a while since I’ve done any sessions, almost three years. When I go to Bahia Blanca I do some, but that’s not why you can control situations in the game. It’s not like I analyze myself constantly. Or talk about things. What makes me take the kind of decisions I take, it’s because I know the end is near. And everybody that retired tells me the same thing: Enjoy it, play another year. And well, I have 19 years doing this and if it’s not at the end of this season, it will be the next. And it ends, and it doesn’t come back.
- You once said that when you were a kid you used to look in a mirror and either scold yourself when you didn’t do things right or congratulate yourself when you did things right. 19 years later, how do you regulate yourself?
- The game ends and I go home more calm if I had a good game or a solid game and I do what’s expected of me. If in a game I score two points and turn it over five times, I don’t go home very happy, but I’m not so critical either. I tell myself how terrible I was, how could’ve played like that, but that’s it. 10 seconds later I see my kids, I spend time with them, I take them to bed and I’m thinking about something else. I allow myself to make mistakes and I allow myself to make up for them. Just what happens to a lot of people. Before, I did not do that.
- And how do you control the emotions in high stakes moments? They’re not for everyone in the NBA.
- Now it happens a lot less than before. There was a five year period that I knew it was going to happen, I was happy about it and I did it proudly. I even thought I was good at that, I felt important. Now that happens less, I’m a playmaker in the team now, I try to get the ball moving, that everyone feels good.
- You use the head more than the body.
- Right… But it’s also true that I’m less confident than before. Three years ago, if I didn’t get the ball, I would get pissed or upset. It’s just that before I mentally felt that I was going to win the game. Now it’s more like I tell myself: if it’s my turn, I try to do the best I can. I don’t have the conviction I had before.
Manu stops the interview with a scream. “I can’t believe it! It’s a scorpion! it was on your shoe”, he says, kidding. And adds: “No, I saw it on the rug”. And assistant comments: “They say it’s good luck”, and Manu responds between laughs, “It’s good luck if it doesn’t catch you”. After a while, the conversation gets back on track.
- You were saying that you’re not as confident, but in the last Finals against Miami, you headed inside and dunked over Chris Bosh.
- Yeah, but it’s not the last play on a game. It’s different. When I’m inside the court, I want to do the things you’re not supposed to do. But having the ball in the last play and say: I want the ball and I’m going to make this happen, that’s not the same as years ago.
- At this stage of your career, there’s a situation where Messina and Popovich, your sport mentors, are together on the bench. What does that mean to you?
- It’s strange. Now it’s more normal because we have 8 months together. But it’s without a doubt something very special and unique. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for both. I think Ettore is the guy that transformed me into a great player. I always say I used to play well, visually pleasing, with a behind the back or a dunk, or whatever. But the guy that transformed me into a very good team player was him. He had to force it on me, but even so, we always had a very good relationship. I always showed him respect and he did the same to me. That we’re back in the same team is very nice. We talk a lot and we’re constantly communicating. And Pop, maybe throughout the season it’s more complicated because everybody is busy doing what needs to be done, but when the games end, we normally do end up having more personal conversations, especially when we go out to eat. That’s when the mutual appreciation comes out naturally.
- When you stop for a second to think all you’ve done over a 19 year career, what you achieved, is that more than you expected or was that within you thought was possible?
- It’s definitely more. Nobody can think you’re gonna go that far. Not even put together these many years in the NBA. I remember when I got started in this whole basketball thing, when I became a pro, my expectation was to play until I was 33 or 34. Maybe play in Europe. I don’t know, those were my objectives. And well, with 38 right around the corner, I see myself in a team like San Antonio, an elite group, that always compete… It’s clear it’s a whole lot more than I could dream. But you take things one step at a time, you feel good, you reach an objective, you set a new goal, you add something to your game, one thing leads to another. It’s clear that it’s a lot more than what I’ve ever dreamed.
- Just like Bahia Blanca is your home, San Antonio is what?
- It’s the place that allowed me to develop all my game and at the same time, made me feel very, very comfortable, both me and my family. It’s the place where my kids were born… There’s no doubt that these 13 years here will be unforgettable. And I’m sure I’ll be connected to the city for life. But the whole family, affections, friends, makes the other (Bahia Blanca) still have a lot of pull. We’ll see what happens in the future.
- In San Antonio people has you like a local hero, and they say you show up whenever they need you, for example, the playoffs. How does that make you feel?
- I feel the love and respect of everybody here for what we achieved in these 13 years together. I insist that nowadays I’m not capable to fulfill such high expectations. I want to do things right every game, I would love to always play well. It’s harder to do that in the playoffs, because there’s not a lot of opportunities. In a 82 game season, everything is different. But it’s not like in the past, I don’t walk into a game to take over the world, solve every problem, to say “give me the ball, I’ll take care of it”. Today I’m a gear in a much larger machine, I’m just a screw that allows the team to function, but I’m not the first option to score or the team’s most important problem solver.
- Every picture in this room has a player running a play, the only one screaming is you?
- It’s weird, right? I don’t know. One defends, the other shoots, another one dunks and I’m screaming. I guess you stand out the best you can, right?
Original in Spanish here: http://canchallena.lanacion.com.ar/1782280-tengo-casi-38-anos-y-sigo-jugando-en-un-equipo-de-elite-es-una-situacion-inmejorable
Manu Ginóbili: “I’m almost 38 years old and I’m still playing in an elite team; It’s the best situation”
A much less ambitious Manu Ginóbili and with different priorities talks about what could be his last season in the NBA.
SAN ANTONIO.- The Spurs’ press room has images of every player hanging from the walls. In each one of them, they’re executing a play. Manu’s one is in the center of the place, but his picture has him screaming, one of those celebrations that he stamps on everyone’s soul. At 38 years old he still embodies the blood of this team. He’s the spirit, the brains, although he feels he’s not the muscle anymore. And as he goes talking about this season, all the roads take him to the end of his career. He won’t say it, because he would never rush to say something like that or say something he’ll regret later, but there’s not a lot of time left. Things have changed a lot. Amongst them, his way of thinking, something he’s very direct about.
- Playoffs are coming, and the team is shaping into form. What do you guys do to provoke that change?
- There are no secrets on what happened. We started to play better, getting more confident, there’s more players playing well and we started to be more responsible of what we do and we’re doing it for longer. I think in the last two weeks, after that incredible game we lost against the Knicks, it looks like we’ve been better and we’re shaping up to be the team we want to be. So it’s good, it’s a bit late in the season, but we’re here. We’re trying to finish amongst the top 3. So things worked themselves out.
- Can you find stability in the playoffs? Can you flip the switch there?
- The playoffs are a different story, totally new, and it doesn’t mean a whole lot what you’ve done before. We might start without being the best team we can be, and it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to be eliminated. We’re all optimists and we believe we can get far, but you can also lose right away and there’s no time to react. Last season everybody talked about the game we played, how wonderful it was, but the reality is that we were real close to be out in the first round (Spurs beat Dallas in Game 7). In the West anything can happen. You have to take it easy and be focused when it matter, otherwise you go home.
- There doesn’t seem to be a clear favorite and it looks like anybody can win it all. Does that build confidence?
- It’s extremely clear everybody has a shot. Golden State was the better team during the regular season, because they’ve played at an extremely high level and because their confidence is sky high. But even then, the playoffs is an area where they don’t have a lot of experience. You have to wait and see what happens in the playoffs. They were definitely the best team. But in close series, with the crowd on your side, everything perfect, you can’t hit a shot, the opponent is inspired, you end up 0-1 and everything changes. The 65 games you won earlier don’t mean a thing. It has happened to us to be the #1 seed and end up empty handed. So all of this works out ok to get home court advantage, but nothing else.
- How are you feeling after that sprain?
- I had a couple of complicated weeks, first with a virus, I kind hurried back, played 8 minutes and I was falling apart. Then I sprain the ankle, but it was only 8 days out, so here I am, trying to feel good. I’m healthy, I have the usual pains for this age and this time of the season. But I can’t complain.
- That “I can’t complain”, is that because you’re doing what you set to do this season?
- Yes. I had some up and downs. But now I’m focused, I tried to enjoy the road not just the finish line. December was very tough, the rodeo road trip too. It took me a while to overcome that. But in general I try to stick to the new philosophy that I have, enjoy the day to day more and don’t stress out about the results. In all honesty I couldn’t do it because it’s been too many years living at a different rhythm, but right now I’m fine again. Now the season stabilizes, the schedule is a lot friendlier, there are not that many trips… I’m more balanced now.
- When did that change you mentioned happened?
- After that season we lost (2013 vs Miami). I told myself I either do that, or I retire and go do something else. I couldn't be suffering like that. I had a tough time, first because of the injuries, and then because I couldn’t give my best to the team when it most needed it. That burned my brain. That’s why I said, I either change or I move onto something else, because that’s not healthy.
- Did that affect you all the time?
- It was difficult in general, having that pressure in my head. It’s not like I got home and was still sad, but it did affect me. I decided it would affect me as little as possible. At times during this season I was able to handle it, sometimes I could not, but in general I’m more relaxed, I take the drama away a lot more. I think this also happens when you reach this age. There’s some maturity and you think: I’m almost 38, I’m still playing in an elite team; it’s the best situation. And then I start accepting I can’t play like I did in 2008 or so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the day. That’s where I changed a bit.
- Sometimes you’re a bit more upset with the referees, are you more tired? Is that harder to handle now?
- I don’t notice anything different. I always was passionate and temperamental. I try to enjoy, but, if I have 3 turnovers in a row in a game I just heat up. I get desperate. But then when you walk back to the bench I calm down, I talk to a teammate, the pulse slows down. In the past, I would be pissed for a day or two. But in general, I’m more calm now.
- That kind of control, do you work at it alone?
- Yes, I convince myself.
- You’re not a friend of psychologists?
- I like psychology. It’s been a while since I’ve done any sessions, almost three years. When I go to Bahia Blanca I do some, but that’s not why you can control situations in the game. It’s not like I analyze myself constantly. Or talk about things. What makes me take the kind of decisions I take, it’s because I know the end is near. And everybody that retired tells me the same thing: Enjoy it, play another year. And well, I have 19 years doing this and if it’s not at the end of this season, it will be the next. And it ends, and it doesn’t come back.
- You once said that when you were a kid you used to look in a mirror and either scold yourself when you didn’t do things right or congratulate yourself when you did things right. 19 years later, how do you regulate yourself?
- The game ends and I go home more calm if I had a good game or a solid game and I do what’s expected of me. If in a game I score two points and turn it over five times, I don’t go home very happy, but I’m not so critical either. I tell myself how terrible I was, how could’ve played like that, but that’s it. 10 seconds later I see my kids, I spend time with them, I take them to bed and I’m thinking about something else. I allow myself to make mistakes and I allow myself to make up for them. Just what happens to a lot of people. Before, I did not do that.
- And how do you control the emotions in high stakes moments? They’re not for everyone in the NBA.
- Now it happens a lot less than before. There was a five year period that I knew it was going to happen, I was happy about it and I did it proudly. I even thought I was good at that, I felt important. Now that happens less, I’m a playmaker in the team now, I try to get the ball moving, that everyone feels good.
- You use the head more than the body.
- Right… But it’s also true that I’m less confident than before. Three years ago, if I didn’t get the ball, I would get pissed or upset. It’s just that before I mentally felt that I was going to win the game. Now it’s more like I tell myself: if it’s my turn, I try to do the best I can. I don’t have the conviction I had before.
Manu stops the interview with a scream. “I can’t believe it! It’s a scorpion! it was on your shoe”, he says, kidding. And adds: “No, I saw it on the rug”. And assistant comments: “They say it’s good luck”, and Manu responds between laughs, “It’s good luck if it doesn’t catch you”. After a while, the conversation gets back on track.
- You were saying that you’re not as confident, but in the last Finals against Miami, you headed inside and dunked over Chris Bosh.
- Yeah, but it’s not the last play on a game. It’s different. When I’m inside the court, I want to do the things you’re not supposed to do. But having the ball in the last play and say: I want the ball and I’m going to make this happen, that’s not the same as years ago.
- At this stage of your career, there’s a situation where Messina and Popovich, your sport mentors, are together on the bench. What does that mean to you?
- It’s strange. Now it’s more normal because we have 8 months together. But it’s without a doubt something very special and unique. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for both. I think Ettore is the guy that transformed me into a great player. I always say I used to play well, visually pleasing, with a behind the back or a dunk, or whatever. But the guy that transformed me into a very good team player was him. He had to force it on me, but even so, we always had a very good relationship. I always showed him respect and he did the same to me. That we’re back in the same team is very nice. We talk a lot and we’re constantly communicating. And Pop, maybe throughout the season it’s more complicated because everybody is busy doing what needs to be done, but when the games end, we normally do end up having more personal conversations, especially when we go out to eat. That’s when the mutual appreciation comes out naturally.
- When you stop for a second to think all you’ve done over a 19 year career, what you achieved, is that more than you expected or was that within you thought was possible?
- It’s definitely more. Nobody can think you’re gonna go that far. Not even put together these many years in the NBA. I remember when I got started in this whole basketball thing, when I became a pro, my expectation was to play until I was 33 or 34. Maybe play in Europe. I don’t know, those were my objectives. And well, with 38 right around the corner, I see myself in a team like San Antonio, an elite group, that always compete… It’s clear it’s a whole lot more than I could dream. But you take things one step at a time, you feel good, you reach an objective, you set a new goal, you add something to your game, one thing leads to another. It’s clear that it’s a lot more than what I’ve ever dreamed.
- Just like Bahia Blanca is your home, San Antonio is what?
- It’s the place that allowed me to develop all my game and at the same time, made me feel very, very comfortable, both me and my family. It’s the place where my kids were born… There’s no doubt that these 13 years here will be unforgettable. And I’m sure I’ll be connected to the city for life. But the whole family, affections, friends, makes the other (Bahia Blanca) still have a lot of pull. We’ll see what happens in the future.
- In San Antonio people has you like a local hero, and they say you show up whenever they need you, for example, the playoffs. How does that make you feel?
- I feel the love and respect of everybody here for what we achieved in these 13 years together. I insist that nowadays I’m not capable to fulfill such high expectations. I want to do things right every game, I would love to always play well. It’s harder to do that in the playoffs, because there’s not a lot of opportunities. In a 82 game season, everything is different. But it’s not like in the past, I don’t walk into a game to take over the world, solve every problem, to say “give me the ball, I’ll take care of it”. Today I’m a gear in a much larger machine, I’m just a screw that allows the team to function, but I’m not the first option to score or the team’s most important problem solver.
- Every picture in this room has a player running a play, the only one screaming is you?
- It’s weird, right? I don’t know. One defends, the other shoots, another one dunks and I’m screaming. I guess you stand out the best you can, right?