Best interview to Manu in a long time (in spanish)

[chasky]

626761006732181505

[daledondale]

Outstanding interview. Gracias Chasky.

[Leetonidas]

Waiting on el nono for the non be@ner version tbh

[Ice009]

Any chance someone could tell us what was said here? or just a brief recap.

[HI-FI]

ElNono...it's time....
http://cfile226.uf.daum.net/R400x0/234D0D4452875ADD1E9696

[BadOne]

Waiting on el nono for the non be@ner version tbh

:lmao

[Mikeanaro]

Fuck Varsky, gonna read Nono´s version or wont read it at all.

[ducks]

Speak English
Quack quack

[Shipupi]

Not trying to steal ElNono's thunder or anything, i'll just do it. "Words between quotes I'm not sure of the exact translation"

They begin talking about Manu's conference on leadership. Manu says it's the first time he's giving this type of conference, and how he's obsessive about preparing for it. He says it will be a first hand story about the most significative stuff in his career, the one who defined him the most, and adds that it wasn't the victories that defined him, but the defeats, and how to live through them.

The reporter asks about which defeat taught him the most, weather it was 2013 NBA finals or all the way back to 2002 FIBA WC (Argentina lost the finals in OT). He answered that he wasn't even ready in 2002 to learn from a defeat, that skill comes after living through many defeats and frustrations. He says it's 2013 which really hurt him most, had a lot of bitterness about it, but after a lot of "soul searching" it made him a better player.

Reporter asks how he deals with frustration. Manu says he hasn't been a good ally of frustration (that was the exact wording). But since 2013 he started putting things in perspective , he now understands that it's a game, not a matter of life or death, and that there's not a single athlete that's won more than he lost for his entire career. So he learned to stress less, and enjoy it more

He's asked how he came to the decision of coming back, if he was doubting about it or not. Manu says that he doubted it a lot, but retirement is a lifetime decision where doubt has no place, cause he can't come back the following year try again, if he wasn't 100% sure about retiring he wasn't gonna do it, because he didn't want to have any regret. And after watching the 2015 finals he saw that he's not too old yet, that he still has some gas in the tank.

He's asked what about those videos lit his fire. He says what those kids were living through(I'm guessing GS), and how they bonded for a single goal. He says he also watched videos like "San antonio - The beautiful game", and made him want to come back


His wife said he supports Manu whatever he wants to do, if he wants to come back she'll still go to every game and support him 100%, same if he wants to retire. Also talked a bit with Pop and Tim, and here we are.

About the offseason: Aldridge was the player at least half the NBA wanted to get, and its a great praise that he chose us, and its a great sign of respect. Same with David west, leaving so much money on the table to try to get a ring with us, which also gives us some preassure to go get it for him. Happy about Danny being back and kawhi getting paid.

About his Role/ minutes this season: He's won't expect a lot of change, he'll be playing a bit less than previous years, and if he can produce he believes he'll be fine. He trusts in Pop to manage his minutes.

"How much has Pop changed you? How much of Pop is there in you?"- Pop has changed me a lot, we had very different opinions about what went wrong in 2013, but he was the biggest reason why we ringed in 2014. That usually a coach's role is just to guide the team, but he completely took over in 2014 and single-handedly got us that ring.
Also adds that Pop wasn't really helpful about dealing with the loss in 2013, he added more preassure for his mental recovery.

They talk a bit about the NBA, how he never imagined playing till he's 38, that he had an interview when he joined that he wanted to play till he was 32-33 (like saying that was a long successful career).

About his kids, they changed his life a lot, helped him balance between basketball and life. Till 2013 came, and that all went down and he really considered retiring there. His kids don't really know what he does, like its any other job.

About the national team, he most likely won't play anymore, that even though he and the rest of his NT teammates still feel a part of it, they know they're too old and have to give space for the new generation of kids. They talk about the (economic) problems that the NT has, that it's all getting finally sorted out but there was a lot of time wasted, that there's still a lot to change and unfortunately he won't play when it's finally fixed.

He's asked about his relationship with Messi, Manu answered that they talked for like 30 secs in the 2008 Olympics and that was it. How he can't believe all the criticism he gets even though he carried Argentina to the Finals and it's such a fine line between victory and defeat in soccer. He doesn't know if Messi (who's thinking of leaving the NT) learned to get over defeats like he did, that it was very hard for him.




That was most of it, I was kind of tired towards the end and started summing it up a bit

[ElNono]

ugh, been making bank, didn't even notice this thread... I'll do it in a bit... :lol

[ElNono]

- It's the 2013 NBA Finals the moment you learned the most from defeat or do we have to go back to Indianapolis in 2002?

I wasn't ready in Indianapolis 2002 to learn much from a defeat. I think that comes with experience, after you went through many defeats and victories. So, definitely, yes, in 2013 I learned a lot, I had a lot of moments of introspection, of sadness, but then I learned to digest it, and I think it made me better.

- How do you deal with frustration?

It was never easy for me. Eventually, I had two kids then, now three, and in that reshuffle of priorities you learn to give it a different level of importance. You start to realize that life goes through many channels, and you learn it's not a matter of life and death what you're doing at that moment, but your job, your sport. I don't think there's an athlete in this world that has won more than they lost, when it comes to elimination games, final games, championships... so after a while you just calm down, get lets crazy and enjoy more.

- When San Antonio was eliminated there wasn't a clear signal of what you were going to do. How hard was to make that decision and did you fluctuate a lot between the "should I stay or should I go"?

Yeah, I had moments where I was indecisive. But those moments were actually the ones that convinced me. I concluded that in order to make such an important decision, in my life, my career, I had to be convinced. Because there's no coming back from that. You can't take a year off at 38 and come back at 39. So I thought that in order to make such a decision I had to be absolutely sure, and I was not. And then I watched the Finals, and I felt it, that thing, you just want to be there. Then I watched a couple of videos, and I certainly didn't feel like a retired player.

- And what did you see in those Finals and videos that kept the flame burning?

Just watching what those kids were experiencing, the excitement, the adrenaline you get playing a Final. Even the pre and post game, the camaraderie between very different people, the union of the group with the sights set on the objective, it's spectacular. And now in Twitter they put some of those videos of highlights, or that beautiful game video from last year, and you really get pumped. I'm like, I'm ready to go.

- Did you make that decision alone, with your wife Manny, how much influence are the kids? Did you talk to Pop, Tony, Tim?

I talked. With Tim I talked a lot before I left San Antonio because we were basically in the same situation. With my wife I also talked a lot, but from the first minute she basically told me to do whatever I felt more comfortable with. I talked another bit with Pop, and here we are.

- LaMarcus and West coming in, Kawhi renewed his contract. It looks like there's a solid base to make a qualitative jump from last season?

Yeah, nah, amazing how the team was retooled during this period. Aldrige was a player that at the very least half the NBA was after. It's very gratifying that he picked us. We're not the flashiest city, or that generates the most noise around a sport team, but that he's picked us shows a lot of respect for what we've done. And then the West addition, also amazing, he left a fortune in Indianapolis to come play with us and try to win a ring, so it's going to generate more responsibilities to make sure we play well, that we elevate our game. And then Danny came back, which seemed it wasn't going to happen due to the reality of the new contracts. And then Leonard was more obvious, since he's the future of the franchise, so he was going to get whatever he wanted to be happy.
We're going to miss the guys that left. With Tiago I had a great relationship on and off the court, but the changes are notable, and we're excited.

- In this new team, are you interested in your minutes, your role, any quantity or quality changes on your situation within the team compared to last season?

No... I don't think there's going to be a lot of surprises, as far as what's my role in the team. Obviously, as long as I produce. I might end up gradually playing less minutes than the last few seasons. I think I finished last season with 23 or 24 mins per game, and I think I'm good for that. Then you're going to have the stretches where you play 4 games in 5 nights, and obviously, at this point in my career, that's nearly impossible to do well, so there's going to be some micromanagement there.
But in general, I'm an extremely lucky guy to be in this situation, with this team, with that genius that's Pop, managing the groups, and looking at the won and lost games from a completely different angle. And obviously I have a voice and a vote, so that makes everything more enjoyable.

- I once tweeted I would do anything Pop asks me to do. Anything. How much of Pop is in you, how much of Pop is there in the team?

Well, after 13 years together, he kind of shapes you. We've changed, because of his words, his methods, he's a great influence to the players he coaches. I can't tell you I've always done everything he has asked of me, because we've had a few disagreements, but always trying to be positive so the team can win. We had a pretty big disagreement after the 2013 Finals, when it comes to conclusions after that series, but I always say the biggest factor for the comeback, that hunger the next season was more him than the players. I'm totally convinced coaches are extremely important to refocus the group, and in this case, he was a machine. He wasn't necessarily the most helpful to help me digest the defeat then (laughs). There was the play side and the mental side. The latter I had to deal with it myself.

- You arrived in San Antonio from Bologna in 2002, and you'll definitely be playing until 2016. Did you expect to play 14 seasons in the NBA?

No, no way. A lot of us coming from Europe start kind of late in the NBA. Happened to Scola, to Nocioni... Oberto went there when he was 30. So you get there with a different perspective. Plus back then, especially in Europe, it was rare to see a player play after he's 33 or 34. But things change, and once you're in the NBA, you start to notice how people learn to manage energy usage, eating habits, rest, and so you learn to maximize your career in the league. I definitely learned a lot.

- How does the kids have influenced you?

The kids have helped me a lot, especially on the emotional side. Whether I was winning or losing, they were always coming to hug me after the game, and they had no idea what just happened, I was just dad. That helped me find a middle ground emotionally. Until 2013 happened, that wrecked everything again (laughs). But then I regained that middle ground, and they've always been great help.

- Your last game with the National Team has already been played?

Possibly. I said when I couldn't be in the last Worlds that I didn't want to end my career on the National Team like that, but it was fairly implicit that was the end. We had memorable moments in that team, so it's difficult to see you out of it as long as you're still playing basketball. Even former players, you go ask Oberto, Monteccia, and they all feel they're still part of the team. So I know it's difficult to just slam the door shut, but I know there's very little chances.

- Not even Rio 2016? I mean, the team is not even qualified yet, but how about it?

I always said playing the Olympics is a honor for any athlete, but it would be disrespectful of me to talk about that when you have other kids working real hard to try to get the team there, in a very difficult tournament. So today, we have to support those kids, and then time will tell.

[HI-FI]

Thanks ElNono and OP for the find.

[pookenstein]

Thanks ElNono and OP for the find.

[spurs10]

Thanks chasky and ElNono! Anyone care to speculate what he means about his differences with Pop regarding the 2013 loss? I've heard Pop talk about it a lot and mainly just talk about owning it which sounds like Manu's philosophy. Maybe it was a question of effort in which Manu thought 'the effort was there, we just didn't have the energy.'

[Vic Petro]

Thanks Shipupi :toast and thanks Nono :toast

[From Downtown]

Thanks guys for the find and the translation

[The Reckoning]

"I once tweeted I would do anything Pop asks me to do. Anything. How much of Pop is in you, how much of Pop is there in the team?"



lol

[2centsworth]

We had a pretty big disagreement after the 2013 Finals, when it comes to conclusions after that series,...

Pop choked in '13, but redeemed himself like a champ.

[Mikeanaro]

¨You can't take a year off at 38 and come back at 39.¨
Is that a jab to Gay Ray? :lmao

[beirmeistr]

- It's the 2013 NBA Finals the moment you learned the most from defeat or do we have to go back to Indianapolis in 2002?

I wasn't ready in Indianapolis 2002 to learn much from a defeat. I think that comes with experience, after you went through many defeats and victories. So, definitely, yes, in 2013 I learned a lot, I had a lot of moments of introspection, of sadness, but then I learned to digest it, and I think it made me better.

- How do you deal with frustration?

It was never easy for me. Eventually, I had two kids then, now three, and in that reshuffle of priorities you learn to give it a different level of importance. You start to realize that life goes through many channels, and you learn it's not a matter of life and death what you're doing at that moment, but your job, your sport. I don't think there's an athlete in this world that has won more than they lost, when it comes to elimination games, final games, championships... so after a while you just calm down, get lets crazy and enjoy more.
El Nono, excellent as always
- When San Antonio was eliminated there wasn't a clear signal of what you were going to do. How hard was to make that decision and did you fluctuate a lot between the "should I stay or should I go"?

Yeah, I had moments where I was indecisive. But those moments were actually the ones that convinced me. I concluded that in order to make such an important decision, in my life, my career, I had to be convinced. Because there's no coming back from that. You can't take a year off at 38 and come back at 39. So I thought that in order to make such a decision I had to be absolutely sure, and I was not. And then I watched the Finals, and I felt it, that thing, you just want to be there. Then I watched a couple of videos, and I certainly didn't feel like a retired player.

- And what did you see in those Finals and videos that kept the flame burning?

Just watching what those kids were experiencing, the excitement, the adrenaline you get playing a Final. Even the pre and post game, the camaraderie between very different people, the union of the group with the sights set on the objective, it's spectacular. And now in Twitter they put some of those videos of highlights, or that beautiful game video from last year, and you really get pumped. I'm like, I'm ready to go.

- Did you make that decision alone, with your wife Manny, how much influence are the kids? Did you talk to Pop, Tony, Tim?

I talked. With Tim I talked a lot before I left San Antonio because we were basically in the same situation. With my wife I also talked a lot, but from the first minute she basically told me to do whatever I felt more comfortable with. I talked another bit with Pop, and here we are.

- LaMarcus and West coming in, Kawhi renewed his contract. It looks like there's a solid base to make a qualitative jump from last season?

Yeah, nah, amazing how the team was retooled during this period. Aldrige was a player that at the very least half the NBA was after. It's very gratifying that he picked us. We're not the flashiest city, or that generates the most noise around a sport team, but that he's picked us shows a lot of respect for what we've done. And then the West addition, also amazing, he left a fortune in Indianapolis to come play with us and try to win a ring, so it's going to generate more responsibilities to make sure we play well, that we elevate our game. And then Danny came back, which seemed it wasn't going to happen due to the reality of the new contracts. And then Leonard was more obvious, since he's the future of the franchise, so he was going to get whatever he wanted to be happy.
We're going to miss the guys that left. With Tiago I had a great relationship on and off the court, but the changes are notable, and we're excited.

- In this new team, are you interested in your minutes, your role, any quantity or quality changes on your situation within the team compared to last season?

No... I don't think there's going to be a lot of surprises, as far as what's my role in the team. Obviously, as long as I produce. I might end up gradually playing less minutes than the last few seasons. I think I finished last season with 23 or 24 mins per game, and I think I'm good for that. Then you're going to have the stretches where you play 4 games in 5 nights, and obviously, at this point in my career, that's nearly impossible to do well, so there's going to be some micromanagement there.
But in general, I'm an extremely lucky guy to be in this situation, with this team, with that genius that's Pop, managing the groups, and looking at the won and lost games from a completely different angle. And obviously I have a voice and a vote, so that makes everything more enjoyable.

- I once tweeted I would do anything Pop asks me to do. Anything. How much of Pop is in you, how much of Pop is there in the team?

Well, after 13 years together, he kind of shapes you. We've changed, because of his words, his methods, he's a great influence to the players he coaches. I can't tell you I've always done everything he has asked of me, because we've had a few disagreements, but always trying to be positive so the team can win. We had a pretty big disagreement after the 2013 Finals, when it comes to conclusions after that series, but I always say the biggest factor for the comeback, that hunger the next season was more him than the players. I'm totally convinced coaches are extremely important to refocus the group, and in this case, he was a machine. He wasn't necessarily the most helpful to help me digest the defeat then (laughs). There was the play side and the mental side. The latter I had to deal with it myself.

- You arrived in San Antonio from Bologna in 2002, and you'll definitely be playing until 2016. Did you expect to play 14 seasons in the NBA?

No, no way. A lot of us coming from Europe start kind of late in the NBA. Happened to Scola, to Nocioni... Oberto went there when he was 30. So you get there with a different perspective. Plus back then, especially in Europe, it was rare to see a player play after he's 33 or 34. But things change, and once you're in the NBA, you start to notice how people learn to manage energy usage, eating habits, rest, and so you learn to maximize your career in the league. I definitely learned a lot.

- How does the kids have influenced you?

The kids have helped me a lot, especially on the emotional side. Whether I was winning or losing, they were always coming to hug me after the game, and they had no idea what just happened, I was just dad. That helped me find a middle ground emotionally. Until 2013 happened, that wrecked everything again (laughs). But then I regained that middle ground, and they've always been great help.

- Your last game with the National Team has already been played?

Possibly. I said when I couldn't be in the last Worlds that I didn't want to end my career on the National Team like that, but it was fairly implicit that was the end. We had memorable moments in that team, so it's difficult to see you out of it as long as you're still playing basketball. Even former players, you go ask Oberto, Monteccia, and they all feel they're still part of the team. So I know it's difficult to just slam the door shut, but I know there's very little chances.

- Not even Rio 2016? I mean, the team is not even qualified yet, but how about it?

I always said playing the Olympics is a honor for any athlete, but it would be disrespectful of me to talk about that when you have other kids working real hard to try to get the team there, in a very difficult tournament. So today, we have to support those kids, and then time will tell.

[Manu-of-steel]

Thanks to Chasky, shipupi, and El Nono.. To El Nono, what does your name mean, just curious.

[chasky]

Thanks chasky and ElNono! Anyone care to speculate what he means about his differences with Pop regarding the 2013 loss? I've heard Pop talk about it a lot and mainly just talk about owning it which sounds like Manu's philosophy. Maybe it was a question of effort in which Manu thought 'the effort was there, we just didn't have the energy.'

Manu prefer to cut with foul being 3 points ahead in the finals seconds, he mentioned that in a lot of interviews over the past 15 years. Maybe is this.

[spurs10]

Manu prefer to cut with foul being 3 points ahead in the finals seconds, he mentioned that in a lot of interviews over the past 15 years. Maybe is this. Could be the not fouling....I wonder what he meant? If people were making their ft's it wouldn't have mattered.

[AFBlue]

That's some good shit. I'm glad he's amped up and ready for next season. I'm also glad he feels the extra pressure from a guy like West taking less to win one. You know D. West will bring that intensity, and I feel like the rest of the team will rally around that. Glad to have him back for at least one more tbqh.

[spursfaninla]

hmm. really interested to know more about the disagreement between him and pop on the finals loss in 2013...

[ceperez]

Great stuff.

Very curious, I wonder what the disagreement about the 2013 championship lost was about?

Clearly, Manu was devastated, maybe he knew that he was partly to blame. Maybe Pop was deflecting blame and that's where the disagreement is from?

[ElNono]

Thanks to Chasky, shipupi, and El Nono.. To El Nono, what does your name mean, just curious.

Play of words between spanish and italian...

El = The (in spanish)
Nono = Grandpa (in italian)

It can be fairly common in Argentina to call grandpa like that, due to the major contingent of Italians that ended up in Argentina after WWII (my grandpa was one of them).

[mookie2001]

Yeah Argentina is very European. You would know that because every person from there will tell you so over and over again. It's their precious identity that sustains them amongst the brown persons of South America

[spurs10]

Great stuff.

Very curious, I wonder what the disagreement about the 2013 championship lost was about?

Clearly, Manu was devastated, maybe he knew that he was partly to blame. Maybe Pop was deflecting blame and that's where the disagreement is from? More I think about it I'm thinking not fouling, but that's not how they lost the series.

[Quasar]

Awesome read on my favourite Spur, thanks for translating El Nono and Shipupi.

People like you keep this forum as the best source of Spurs-related news!

[BillMc]

Awesome read on my favourite Spur, thanks for translating El Nono and Shipupi.

People like you make keep this forum as the best source of Spurs-related news!

I second this. Thanks for for the translation guys. Great to get the latest from Manu. :toast

[EVAY]

Thanks for translations, guys.

Great interview as usual.

[DAF86]

Yeah Argentina is very European. You would know that because every person from there will tell you so over and over again. It's their precious identity that sustains them amongst the brown persons of South America

Why so much butthurtness my hermano?

[tatteredprince]

wonderful interview

thanks OP and thanks for the translation El Nono and Shipupi

kudos to Manu!

[Ice009]

Thanks for the translation El Nono, you're a stud.

Edit : thanks to Shipupi too.

[Dex]

Good stuff! Thanks to both Nono and Shipupi! Thanks for putting in the work to keep us all informed.

And frankly, if anybody has reason to have differences of opinion about 2013, it would be Duncan, not Manu. Duncan (the Spurs all-time leading rebounder) was standing on the sidelines while the Spurs missed arguably the biggest rebound in franchise history, meanwhile Manu was coughing the ball up to Miami all game. But I digress...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Good stuff! Thanks to both Nono and Shipupi! Thanks for putting in the work to keep us all informed.

And frankly, if anybody has reason to have differences of opinion about 2013, it would be Duncan, not Manu. Duncan (the Spurs all-time leading rebounder) was standing on the sidelines while the Spurs missed arguably the biggest rebound in franchise history, meanwhile Manu was coughing the ball up to Miami all game. But I digress...


I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear what the 'disagreement' was all about. Perhaps Manu questioned Pop leaving Tim off the floor for that play, and Pop pointed to other things that went wrong prior to that. Based on everything I've read and understand at this point, that series had an impact on the players and coaches that still linger. I'm sure when there's that much emotion involved in the aftermath of something like that, that there very well could have been arguments about the 'what if's'...even for a group as professional as the Spurs are. It's such a testament to the team that they stuck it out and came back as united and focused as they did. Still amazes me.