Ginobili Made Spurs Assistant a Believer Back in Italy

[boutons_deux]

Trending on the Internet recently was a video of Manu Ginobili assisting on a fast-break basket (https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/682400540144332801/video/1), while lying down on the job.

Really. Literally. Like a 6-foot-6 cornerback stalking his prey, Ginobili sniffed out a pass to Phoenix’s Mirza Teletovic, wrestled the ball away and fell onto his back, but he still had the court vision and body control to rifle a perfect southpaw pass upcourt to Kawhi Leonard for a layup ahead of three trailing Suns.

Ginobili’s teammates on the San Antonio bench erupted. Ettore Messina, one of the Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ assistant coaches, merely cracked a smile at the sight of Ginobili the contortionist still making something out of nothing after all these years.

As coach of Kinder Bologna in the top Italian league, Messina signed Ginobili at 21 after Ginobili had spent one season with a lower-division team. Messina’s intention was to use Ginobili as a backup shooting guard and eventual replacement for the team’s Serbian star Sasha Danilovic.

Worn out by injuries and indifference, Danilovic retired abruptly. For Messina, such was the serendipity of a coaching life.

Ginobili, an Argentine of Italian descent, proceeded to help make a champion out of Messina and kick-start a coaching career that included four Euroleague titles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/sports/basketball/san-antonio-spurs-manu-ginobili-ettore-messina.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[Blue Duck]

I though that play was amazing but the spurs broadcast didn't really seem to focus in on that one too much. Not too many guys could have pulled that one off.

[YGWHI]

Nice find. Thanks!

ManuMagic!! :toast

[sasaint]

Trending on the Internet recently was a video of Manu Ginobili assisting on a fast-break basket (https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/682400540144332801/video/1), while lying down on the job.

Really. Literally. Like a 6-foot-6 cornerback stalking his prey, Ginobili sniffed out a pass to Phoenix’s Mirza Teletovic, wrestled the ball away and fell onto his back, but he still had the court vision and body control to rifle a perfect southpaw pass upcourt to Kawhi Leonard for a layup ahead of three trailing Suns.

Ginobili’s teammates on the San Antonio bench erupted. Ettore Messina, one of the Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ assistant coaches, merely cracked a smile at the sight of Ginobili the contortionist still making something out of nothing after all these years.

As coach of Kinder Bologna in the top Italian league, Messina signed Ginobili at 21 after Ginobili had spent one season with a lower-division team. Messina’s intention was to use Ginobili as a backup shooting guard and eventual replacement for the team’s Serbian star Sasha Danilovic.

Worn out by injuries and indifference, Danilovic retired abruptly. For Messina, such was the serendipity of a coaching life.

Ginobili, an Argentine of Italian descent, proceeded to help make a champion out of Messina and kick-start a coaching career that included four Euroleague titles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/sports/basketball/san-antonio-spurs-manu-ginobili-ettore-messina.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Could Manu become an assistant coach for Messina for the Spurs one of these days?

[silverblackfan]

Could Manu become an assistant coach for Messina for the Spurs one of these days?

I know a lot of former players become coaches, but the idea that we could have Manu and/or Tim on the sidelines as coaches in the future would just be too much good stuff for us fans. Their BB knowledge is off the charts and have been 'mentored' by Pop for a lot of years...

[EVAY]

Ginobili makes a believer out of all of us.

[daledondale]

Legend.

[beirmeistr]

Could Manu become an assistant coach for Messina for the Spurs one of these days?

I think the only way he would cosider it is if he worked a Sean ****** type deal so he could enjoy his family, and if he brought his parents to live in San Antonio.

[lefty]

Tony Parker never kickstarted a coaching career

Enrique's impact :lol

[SPURt]

"Making a stylistic contrast to the kind of talent — less improvisational, more mechanical — that Europe was known for and a comparison to American-born athletes, Messina added, admiringly, “He was like a black player.”"

:lmao

[Richie]

Pop keeps saying how he thinks Duncan would make an excellent coach, I thought it was just something Pop was joking about until I read a quote by Malik Rose (I think) about how Duncan is excellent at breaking down his play in to simple things. Rose said it was rare to see a superstar who could communicate his game to less talented players, most of them can just do these things and struggle to teach it.