Bienvenido a la familia de Manu - ESPN article by Zach Lowe [Archive]

FromWayDowntown

08-11-2016, 10:48 AM

This is great, great work from Lowe and the tidbits he got out of Bowen, Duncan, Pop, Buford, Brown, and others are things that I didn't know before.

I'll say this about Manu: some Spurs "fans" choose to bash Manu for his public failures (often ignoring his very high profile successes), but the way that his teammates and friends rally around him in those moments where he takes complete responsibility for his own failures is basically all you need to know about how he's viewed by those who know him best.

Manu is a force of nature. It's been a real pleasure to watch him for the last decade and a half -- successes and failures -- and to get to see, up close, a legendary competitor and incredible teammate who can be those things while simply being himself.

tonight...you

08-11-2016, 11:23 AM

"People always ask me who was hardest to guard," Raja Bell said. "I say Kobe. That is what people want to hear. But the truth is, it might have been Manu."
Nice compliment from a good defensive player.

Uriel

08-11-2016, 11:34 AM

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece.

The Spurs are not sure they could have recovered from the devastation of the 2013 Finals against Miami-- and Ginobili's unraveling in Game 6 before Ray Allen's famous shot -- had they not built such deep trust and love. Ginobili committed eight turnovers and was a team-worst minus-21 in the aborted clincher. He is still grappling with that night, especially since it came after his strongest postseason performance in Game 5.

"My head failed me for the first time," he said this spring. "I relaxed after Game 5. I felt self-satisfaction. It made me weak. It had never happened. My head was always the thing that drove me."

Mills sat two stalls from Ginobili after the game, and found him sobbing, head buried in his hands. The whole team and their families went to Il Gabbiano in Miami that night for dinner; Splitter, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili sat at the same table as Popovich approached every member of the dinner party with words of encouragement.

Nobody at Ginobili's table spoke. "They brought the food, and nobody even cared," Splitter said. "We just looked down. We couldn't even look at each other face-to-face. We just wanted to be close to each other."

After another close loss in Game 7, Duncan found Ginobili. "I had to grab him by the head, tell him, 'It's OK. We're going to be OK.'"

Three weeks later, Prigioni met Ginobili in Argentina and congratulated him for playing in the Finals again in his late 30s. Ginobili could not accept the good wishes. He didn't talk to most of his Argentine teammates about the 2013 Finals for months, until he sent several of them an email explaining what had happened and assuring them he would recover.
I love Manu. So much. :cry :cry :cry

BillMc

08-11-2016, 11:42 AM

Great article. Thanks for the link.With Timmy gone, Manu moves to the front as my favorite active player. Glad he and TD didn't go out at the same time, tbh. It would be tough to take.

spursistan

08-11-2016, 11:57 AM

Damn..great stuff... Lowe with the pre-farewell essay on Ginobili :cry...hopefully he gets to write one on TD, but i understand he needs to get one sit-down with a man fishing somewhere on a virgin islands coast...

ElNono

08-11-2016, 12:02 PM

:worthy::worthy::worthy:

Both to Manu and Lowe for this piece. Lots of great insight and quotes in there.

dabom

08-11-2016, 12:10 PM

Great piece. I just recommended it to everyone today.

dabom

08-11-2016, 12:11 PM

Tim was the rock. Manu is the heart.

ElNono

08-11-2016, 12:25 PM

The coaching staff felt Ginobili, bathed in the Golden Generation's selfless spirit, might accept the bench role more readily than Parker.

The only debate was whether the move would be fair to a player so accomplished. Popovich asked Ginobili privately in January. "I don't think I've ever admitted this, even to my staff, but if Manu decided he was not good with it, he was gonna start. Whatever he said, we would do it. He deserved that," Popovich said.

Ginobili nodded his agreement, and left the meeting. Word filtered to the other players. "I was blown away," Duncan said. "Are you kidding? He's Manu! He's a star! He can't not start."

:worthy::worthy::worthy:

J_Paco

08-11-2016, 12:32 PM

Awesome article on Gino. It really is astonishing how good he and Parker have become as international players. Ginobili and Parker had the pedigree to be solid athletes, but they wound up being international stars and HOF players. They are both the greatest guards to ever come from Europe and South America, respectively.

I love Manu even with failures and all. The guy just plays with a passion, determination and recklessness that has been rarely seen. I always wished he could have come to the United States at even earlier age, then his impact would have been even greater.

spursistan

08-11-2016, 12:44 PM

the intangibles Manu brings to the team are really invaluable..going to miss that when the end comes..even newcomers, hardly possessed with competitive fire like Aldridge, mentioned how contagious his energy around the court and and that's the reason he is the sPUR player he enjoyed most playing with ..

urunobili

08-11-2016, 12:52 PM

One of the best ever written articles about Manu. Woj has a couple great ones so does Harvey. With that being said, a centerpiece story is not part of this article which was when Pop went to pick Manu up at the airport late at night on his return from Beijing after re injuring his ankle and playing the Olympics against the Spurs recommendations. That kind of father like attitude by Pop cemented forever their relationship and the importance of Manu for the franchise

spursistan

08-11-2016, 12:54 PM

Zach wrote few times he was a "Manu fanboy" and you could tell a splendid shit will come out when he gets to write the definitive article on him :tu...

I’m an unabashed Manu Ginobili fanboy, so you can guess how thrilling it was to hear the crowd break out repeated “Man-u! Man-u!” chants after they realized sometime in the third or fourth quarter that he was having a historically great bounceback game.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/we-went-there-manu-reigns-and-miami-sputters-in-game-5/

DAF86

08-11-2016, 01:04 PM

Such a great piece. I never thought I would ever read a Manu related piece with so much inside-info/stories that I didn't know.

My favourite part:

the United Nations group spent one snowy evening on the roof of a parking garage in Denver, watching shooting stars, Mills said.

That's what life is all about.

DAF86

08-11-2016, 01:05 PM

There was no reason to stain such a great thread/article with the retarded Manu v Tony thing.

spursistan

08-11-2016, 01:08 PM

There was no reason to stain such a great thread/article with the retarded Manu v Tony thing.

Yep....

763796049999728640

SpursFan86

08-11-2016, 01:18 PM

There was no reason to stain such a great thread/article with the retarded Manu v Tony thing.

Yeah it's unfortunate but not at all surprising.

houston spurs fan

08-11-2016, 01:49 PM

Amazing article. Love this team

SpurPadre

08-11-2016, 02:19 PM

Brilliant article. If only Manu could get a realistic chance at another ring in his last season...but Durant and the Warriors had to ruin the spirit of competition and everything for the rest of the league.

beirmeistr

08-11-2016, 02:58 PM

this may be the best Manu article that I have read.

wildbill2u

08-11-2016, 03:19 PM

Wonderful tribute piece with some stories about Manu I hadn't seen before. No Spur fan should miss this article.

kaji157

08-11-2016, 03:30 PM

A few of my favorite basketball/Manu/Argentina related articles.

These one will enter that list for sure.

http://downtownball.net/2014/08/legacy-el-contusione-band-brothers/
http://bballbreakdown.com/2016/08/09/ode-argentinas-golden-generation/
http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/9/8/6107243/argentina-golden-generation-manu-ginobili-fiba-world-cup

Most of those state the fact that Ginobili and Argentina did something no one can never do again, and that´s affect the way things were done by USA Basketball.

Keepin' it real

08-11-2016, 03:30 PM

"Nothing we didn't already know." -- spurstalk

EVAY

08-11-2016, 03:56 PM

Spectacular article about a spectacular player.

The tension between Ginobili and Popovich was clear in the beginning. And it was clear that Manu wasn't going to back down to Pop. I used to watch the interaction between the two of them and laugh out loud in the stands. Thank goodness Pop could eventually see Manu's strengths and contributions. That reality speaks to Pop's (eventual) readiness to accept a reality other than the one he had in mind.

He has always been my fave, partly because he really gave the Spurs what they never had before: unpredictabililty in playing excellence. His court vision truly is better than maybe anyone in the league.

And, regardless of what other reasons went into the decision to have him start the second unit, I definitely believe that said decision prolonged his career.

Most surprising quote of the article: When Manu said he thought his great play in game 5 relaxed him too much in game 6, and essentially said he lost his focus. That is a terrific piece of self-knowledge.

Diego20

08-11-2016, 04:19 PM

Legend :cry

itzsoweezee

08-11-2016, 04:46 PM

Amazing article. The quotes may be the best part. Zach is the king of bball writers.

lefty20

08-11-2016, 05:43 PM

Manu...:cry. Definitely coughing up the $$$ for court-side seats to a game this year. Just hope he is healthy and playing in that game.

wildbill2u

08-11-2016, 06:35 PM

Back in the day, when the Spurs were new to San Antonio, I loved to watch the very special skills that George Gervin brought to the game. If you weren't there you can't understand because the games in that era (both NBA and ABA) weren't taped and/or archived for the most part. At GG's retirement dinner they only had a few highlights of his career. But Gervin's shooting skills were so unique that I always felt that he'd make one shot in every game with a degree of difficulty that justified the cost of the tickets. Pure basketball entertainment factor was high.

I never thought I'd see another Spur with that same magical skill set that would electrify a crowd night after night and justify the much higher cost of today's entertainment ticket. Manu does that. And more than Gervin, Manu has the ability to make those electrifying plays on offense, defense, and even by his brilliant passing and court vision. Manu is the player that makes the Spurs a premier entertainment value.

spursmvp

08-11-2016, 06:39 PM

"I would rather lose with you guys than win with any other group of players," Ginobili said through tears. Scola said the same thing.

What did KD say?

SAGirl

08-11-2016, 07:06 PM

Great article. Thanks for sharing. So much insight there, specially from Pop for me. How he wanted to change and restrict Manu. How he started in a role, how Manu broke out of that role to play his game. So much perspective and appreciation for the man and how the Spurs are also a reflection of his personality as well as it was Tim's.

It would indeed have been hard for both to retire at the same time, something we chatted about before and this article gives an insight on that.
:flag:

rastaspur

08-11-2016, 07:14 PM

This article just validates in my mind why manu will go down as my favorite basketball player ever. Awesome article.

ElNono

08-11-2016, 07:52 PM

"Nothing we didn't already know." -- spurstalk

"What a vanilla take. A frosty has more creativity than that" -- spurstalk

Seventyniner

08-11-2016, 08:47 PM

Manu-of-steel

08-11-2016, 09:33 PM

Wow! What a very nice article on my favorite spurs player! Thanks for posting!

SAGirl

08-11-2016, 09:39 PM

Well said. Manu's unpredictability was a great counterpoint to Duncan's methodical dominance, Parker's aggression, and Pop's structure.
With Tim's retirement Pop came out with the statement that he's looking forward to seeing how the new Spurs' locker room leadership develops. He has obviously been pushing Kawhi for that and it remains to be seen. He doesn't form bonds with others well since teammates have said he doesn't talk or hang out privately and although Tim was also quiet he did have ways to connect with others through kinship and encouragement.

Manu one more season plus Tony are holding the leadership fort while the Spurs' younger players develop, that's the bottom line. Their development is to me the theme this upcoming season. Even Kawhi is still developing. He's just 25 (imagine, that was Manu's age coming over to the NBA more or less) and still needs to develop as a leader.

The Manu retirement tour is probably going to allow those guys to stay in the background building their own music metaphorically. The end of an era and hopefully the beginning of one have coincided for a couple of years and we are witnessing it this season. Even if the end result in the postseason is disappointing (it will be if the team gets eliminated and they didn't win every year even in their heyday) last season felt transitional and this upcoming one will be even more so.

Got to enjoy the season, for Manu and for the young Spurs. I think it will be special no matter what. So excited to see the Spurs....
:flag:

beirmeistr

08-11-2016, 09:52 PM

With Tim's retirement Pop came out with the statement that he's looking forward to seeing how the new Spurs' locker room leadership develops. He has obviously been pushing Kawhi for that and it remains to be seen. He doesn't form bonds with others well since teammates have said he doesn't talk or hang out privately and although Tim was also quiet he did have ways to connect with others through kinship and encouragement.

Manu one more season plus Tony are holding the leadership fort while the Spurs' younger players develop, that's the bottom line. Their development is to me the theme this upcoming season. Even Kawhi is still developing. He's just 25 (imagine, that was Manu's age coming over to the NBA more or less) and still needs to develop as a leader.

The Manu retirement tour is probably going to allow those guys to stay in the background building their own music metaphorically. The end of an era and hopefully the beginning of one have coincided for a couple of years and we are witnessing it this season. Even if the end result in the postseason is disappointing (it will be if the team gets eliminated and they didn't win every year even in their heyday) last season felt transitional and this upcoming one will be even more so.

Got to enjoy the season, for Manu and for the young Spurs. I think it will be special no matter what. So excited to see the Spurs....
:flag:
has he definitely said this is his last season?

Keepin' it real

08-11-2016, 10:43 PM

"What a vanilla take. A frosty has more creativity than that" -- spurstalk

I'm just regurgitating what spurstalkers say when someone posts a link to an article, no matter how good the article is. I figure if I say it enough times, they'll stop.

Mugen

08-11-2016, 11:04 PM

One of the GOAT bball articles tbh.

ElNono

08-11-2016, 11:19 PM

I'm just regurgitating what spurstalkers say when someone posts a link to an article, no matter how good the article is. I figure if I say it enough times, they'll stop.

:lol I was backing you up on that, tbh

Spur|n|Austin

08-12-2016, 12:10 AM

this may be the best Manu and some article that I have read.

UZER

08-12-2016, 12:41 AM

I've always said, one of the reasons the Spurs were able to win championships was because Manu wasn't afraid to go outside of pops "system" to wrestle a game trying to get away by the horns.

houston spurs fan

08-12-2016, 12:41 AM

I truly believe he's the greatest competitor we've seen since MJ. Kobe is right there and dare I say Westbrook, maybe time will tell...Manu never had the athletic ability but damn what a winner. What he did in Athens will never be duplicated. Ever. This is why his signed jersey hangs in my office.

Props to Zach Lowe. This isn't just your typical sports article, this is outstanding literary journalism.

SAGirl

08-12-2016, 01:46 AM

has he definitely said this is his last season?

No, nor will he I think, but at 39 I am assuming it is no offense.

pookenstein

08-12-2016, 05:01 AM

Great Piece!

BG_Spurs_Fan

08-12-2016, 06:01 AM

:tu Zach Lowe.

timtonymanu

08-12-2016, 06:22 AM

Damn I'm going to be experiencing shock from Timmy being gone all year. I can't even imagine how it's gonna be when Manu retires. Great article, Lowe.

benefactor

08-12-2016, 06:36 AM

:cry all these feels :cry:cry:cry

Chinook

08-12-2016, 07:12 AM

Makes me miss Splitter even more. It's clear he was a big part of that chemistry, too. But yes, that was a great article. Manu is quite the drama-queen. But you don't get to where he is without being weird.

It was a great article. It's clear that Lowe got most of those quotes months ago. It's nice to see someone actually put in work for their stories as opposed to just rehashing the same shit quotes they overhear in press conferences.

Though :lol at people thinking Lowe is good again now that he posted a pro-Spurs piece.

timtonymanu

08-12-2016, 07:39 AM

dabom

08-12-2016, 08:21 AM

Sad Splitter was made out of glass.

SpursFan86

08-12-2016, 08:27 AM

Though :lol at people thinking Lowe is good again now that he posted a pro-Spurs piece.

I thought it was sort of a general consensus that Lowe is one of the best mainstream basketball writers around (granted that's not saying much given the average basketball writer). Have people here disliked him in the past?

dabom

08-12-2016, 09:25 AM

I don't think I've ever talked Shit about Lowe.

Spur|n|Austin

08-12-2016, 09:45 AM

Agreed, I've never had any beef with Lowe - positive Spurs article or negative.

Chinook

08-12-2016, 10:51 AM

I thought it was sort of a general consensus that Lowe is one of the best mainstream basketball writers around (granted that's not saying much given the average basketball writer). Have people here disliked him in the past?

Agreed, I've never had any beef with Lowe - positive Spurs article or negative.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262230&highlight=lowe

ElNono

08-12-2016, 10:54 AM

He whiffed on the minivan thing... IIRC, Manu twins were born in 2010... but it's nitpicking on an otherwise incredible piece about an incredible player...

Chinook

08-12-2016, 10:57 AM

He whiffed on the minivan thing... IIRC, Manu twins were born in 2010... but it's nitpicking on an otherwise incredible piece about an incredible player...

Or maybe Manu called his shot way back then.

dabom

08-12-2016, 11:04 AM

Checked the thread. Never even posted there. Probably because it didn't mean anything.

ElNono

08-12-2016, 03:46 PM

Or maybe Manu called his shot way back then.

talk about seeing things before they happen... :lol

Mikeanaro

08-12-2016, 04:08 PM

YO SOY FAMILIAR DIRECTO HIJO DE PUTAAAAAAAAAAA!
:rollin

Andthentherewas21

08-12-2016, 04:15 PM

He whiffed on the minivan thing... IIRC, Manu twins were born in 2010... but it's nitpicking on an otherwise incredible piece about an incredible player...

Guessing it happened during the SAS/DAL game in November. (Twins were born in May).

cjw

08-12-2016, 09:39 PM

Lowe's dad has a ridiculous record as a HS swim/water polo coach (31 swimming state titles in 43 seasons) and also won NFL teacher of the year - was Steve Young's calculus teacher. It explains Lowe's tweets during Olympics about swimming and water polo and also his drive to be the best sports writer, period.

spursistan

08-13-2016, 02:06 AM

764195811387256836

HarlemHeat37

08-14-2016, 01:26 PM

Great read, thanks for posting it..

Not only is he one of the most competitive players in NBA history, but stylistically speaking, he's probably the 2nd most influential player of the previous era, only behind Kobe..

The most unselfish player to ever play in the NBA, as well..his Gold medal feat in 2004 was the greatest accomplishment I've ever seen on a basketball court, defeating a team with 2 of the 5 best players in NBA history(Duncan and Lebron), along with several other HOFers and MVPs..unbelievable..

Brazil

08-15-2016, 08:41 AM

Great read ! Respect

Brazil

08-15-2016, 09:02 AM

As for me, my favorite quote is: "I just play the game the only way I know," Ginobili said. "And I have no regrets."

RuffnReadyOzStyle

08-15-2016, 08:27 PM

Loved this article so much. :toast

And Zach continues to be the best NBA writer on the planet. :tu

kaji157

08-18-2016, 01:36 AM

Another great article. This one by Adrian Wojnarowski.

Basketball world owes Manu Ginobili and Argentina's national team debt of gratitude
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nba--basketball-world-owes-manu-ginobili-and-argentina-debt-of-gratitude-.html

This was until now my favorite.

tholdren

08-18-2016, 08:59 PM

manu better than kobe

Ginobili3

08-23-2016, 09:11 PM

I'm tryna think of all the different young, new and/or emerging players who have said Manu was one of, if not their favorite player: James Harden, D'Angelo Russell, Gordon Hayward, Dante Exum, Evan Turner, Sergey Karasev...man, seeing all that love makes me happy lol. Even with all the celebs, the numerous name drops in music, Diana Taurasi, Lady Gaga....man, lol