Manu coming back to SA today

[leo_d]

The Spurs aren't paying Ginobili 8.5 million!?

yes, and that pay does not include the right to forbid Manu to play in the olimpics.

[smeagol]

A slave?

If getting 8.5 mill a year makes you a slave. Slap the ing chains on me.

Idiot . . . root for trading Ginobili and get it over with. Because if he is healthy, he will play.

I can assure most of the athletes in this planet would prefer representing ones country than their local club. That is the way it is, regardles of what you might want or demand as a paying customer.

If this explanation does not satisfy you, then talk to Holt, Buford, Pop or whoever and tell them not to draft anymore foreigners.

[leo_d]

Bull .

Ginobili right now wants a contract extension, and the Spurs oughtta tell him, you want the extension, you stay in SA.

Maybe, but is kind of wrong ask for a player to accept less salary for the good of the team, and then tell him to not play for his NT because money is all that matters.

[smeagol]

Maybe, but is kind of wrong ask for a player to accept less salary for the good of the team, and then tell him to not play for his NT because money is all that matters.

Good point.

That goes to show how ing two-faced some Spurs fans are.

[ElNono]

Some points that seem to escape some people here:
- Manu has a clause in his contract where he can play international ball ONLY if he has secured insurance to cover for his salary in the event of an injury. This is actually a pretty standard arrangement with a lot of international players.
- Manu has actually signed for less in order to stay with the Spurs a few years ago. If he wouldn't care about the team, he would be in Denver now.
- I'm sure there's more than one NBA team that would be more than happy to pay him what we pay him, and let him play in the Olympics.
- As Kori correctly pointed out, most good NBA players play basketball all summer.

[mrspurs]

I agree.

i also agree...i dont know what tpark said cos he was one of my first ignores...where he will remain forever and ever....amen

[Obstructed_View]

Maybe, but is kind of wrong ask for a player to accept less salary for the good of the team, and then tell him to not play for his NT because money is all that matters.

The team might tell him not to play for his NT because they know he's so competetive that he'll keep disregard his own well-being, they know they can't win if he's injured, and they can't replace him for any price. It's certainly not anything about "money is all that matters". It also has little to do with the fact that he's the most underpaid player in the NBA. If the Spurs were paying him the max it wouldn't change their concerns for his health as it applies to their team. That Argentina has clearly been the best team in the world for a while might give Manu less to prove, which would be another argument the Spurs might make.

Clearly, he's making sure that the team is involved with the decision on whether or not he's healthy enough to play. As long as they have some say in it, and he's willing to accept their input about his long term health, that should be good enough for Spurs fans.

A freak accident could happen at any time. Didn't someone form the Spurs do something to his shins walking into a waterbed?

[ducks]

manu was a complete idiot

[ducks]

Good point.

That goes to show how ing two-faced some Spurs fans are.

spurs fans are spurs fans not fans of a countries player
if you do not like it there is the ing door

[diego]

Could care less. He plays for the Spurs NOW, wtf does the national team before he was drafted have anything to do with it? That argument is

Lets see, he takes one month off, plays for 3 months STRAIGHT, and thats not gonna make him tired for the season? Give me a ing break.

Once again, playing for many months STRAIGHT, makes him TIRED. If you can't see that, then step away from the computer.

manu played for the Arg NT way before he played for the spurs. if the spurs had a problem with how much basketball manu plays, they shouldnt have given him a contract. i could give a rat's ass whether you think manu is tired or not. Pop obviously didnt think so or he wouldnt have played him for his highest career mpg in the regular season and playoffs- OH WAIT, make that 2nd highest- manu actually played more mpg both in the RS and PO of 04-05, THE SEASON AFTER HE WENT TO THE OLYMPICS AND WON THE MOTHER ING GOLD.

i asked you for proof, not your speculation as to whether he is tired or not. i just gave you some facts that broke up your little BS theory.

Ginobili gets hurt, Spurs don't play as well, Spurs have worse record, Spurs attendance isn't good due to this.

Following this yet?

i don't know where to look up attendance figures, but i imagine they have been pretty even these past years, regardless of whether the spurs finish 1st or 5th in the regular season. it'd be nice if you could do something more than speculate. and anyways, the spurs have other revenues besides attendance.

Barry is 36, thats why HE got hurt.

Duncan the last time he was at the summer olympics, played mediocre the next season in 2004 2005 and struggled with injuries, ALL SEASON.

Ginobili is OLDER now, he was able to bounce back from things like that back in his 20s. Hes in his 30s now and hes got to stop treating his body like its 21.

Duncan was injured last season too, despite not playing in the olympics, WC, or qualifiers. and in 04 05, he gimped his ankle from landing on rasheed wallace's foot, in the REGULAR SEASON. are you saying he would have just bounced of rasheed unharmed if not for the olympics?

Barry is 36, does that explain why it took him 4 months to recover from a calf injury? maybe the spurs medical staff arent the infallible wizards you puport them to be.

again, all you do is speculate with your gloom and doom BS. show me something real, any kind of fact. You have called manu unloyal, uncommitted, and basically think he is too old to play (which is hilarious, seeing as you are the boards biggest finley fan), and you have no proof to back your ridiculous assertions up.

where was your concern for manu's aging body during the playoffs? is there a single post of yours questioning pop or manu's judgement for playing through pain in the playoffs?

[leo_d]

to OV:

I don`t know if he is the most underpaid player in the NBA. Tim also accept less salary for the good of the team.

What I am saying is the Spurs have specials kind of players in ther team. Players that are willing to sacrifice money for something little bigger, call it pride or desire for glory if you want, but don`t expect them to turn off this desire.

Also, the Spurs should worry if winning something once is all what Manu needs to feel he has acomplished enough.

[smeagol]

manu was a complete idiot

Interestingly enough this comes from one of the stupidest posters on this board.

[smeagol]

spurs fans are spurs fans not fans of a countries player
if you do not like it there is the ing door

I never made it a secret I'm a Manu fan.

And I know where the door is, not sure why I should leave, though.

[Obstructed_View]

to OV:

I don`t know if he is the most underpaid player in the NBA. Tim also accept less salary for the good of the team.

What I am saying is the Spurs have specials kind of players in ther team. Players that are willing to sacrifice money for something little bigger, call it pride or desire for glory if you want, but don`t expect them to turn off this desire.

Also, the Spurs should worry if winning something once is all what Manu needs to feel he has acomplished enough.

I think Manu's grossly underpaid, as I think he's grossly undervalued. The Spurs don't undervalue him and a large number of Spurs fans who get really emotional at the idea of Manu injuring himself playing international ball don't undervalue him.

Nobody is expecting Manu to turn off his desire, which is precisely why the Spurs want to have a lot of say in whether or not he plays, because he's not going to go to Beijing and just take it easy.

You're right that a counterpoint to "Argentina is the best team in the world, you have nothing to prove" could be, "The Spurs are the best team in the NBA, you have nothing to prove", but then it comes down, once again, to money. Like it or not, that's going to be a factor. If Manu were the type of player to risk himself without regard for those who were paying him, chances are he and the Spurs would have parted ways some time ago.

And I'm kind of playing devil's advocate in this discussion. I'm okay with Manu playing as long as he's not going to damage anything. Grant Hill's powdered ankle scares the bejeezus out of me.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

spurs fans are spurs fans not fans of a countries player
if you do not like it there is the ing door

Yours truly,
Tony Parker fanboy.

Philanthropy

"In the field of philanthropy, Parker donates a block of 20 tickets for each home game to underprivileged youth. Parker is also the first ambassador for Make-A-Wish France. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. On his personal website, Parker states: "I already knew Make-A-Wish as it is very famous around the world and I have previously taken part in the granting of wishes by meeting children and their families. I decided to commit to working with Make-A-Wish France when I understood the true dedication there and I realised that I could help to grant as many wishes as possible."

Now I get it. Stupidity is a life-threatening condition. And you are, how much? Like 5 years old?

[T Park]

Maybe, but is kind of wrong ask for a player to accept less salary for the good of the team, and then tell him to not play for his NT because money is all that matters.

They aren't asking him to take less money.

He wants an extension and a raise.

Fine, stay home in SA or BA or wherever.

U want the extension, you don't mess around in the offseason.

[Spurtacus]

Some points that seem to escape some people here:
- Manu has a clause in his contract where he can play international ball ONLY if he has secured insurance to cover for his salary in the event of an injury. This is actually a pretty standard arrangement with a lot of international players.
- Manu has actually signed for less in order to stay with the Spurs a few years ago. If he wouldn't care about the team, he would be in Denver now.
- I'm sure there's more than one NBA team that would be more than happy to pay him what we pay him, and let him play in the Olympics.
- As Kori correctly pointed out, most good NBA players play basketball all summer.

These are good points.


I hope Manu is healthy enough to play. Even so, we're relying on Argentina to use him wisely. I guess we'll be rooting for an early Argentina exit...

[spursfan09]

Good point.

That goes to show how ing two-faced some Spurs fans are.

Ok I am not Argentian at all. I understand that Manu wants to play for his country, but I am a Spur fan and they pay him to play for us. I think if he is hurt he should rest. Spurs need him. I care about them more because I am a fan of the team. It's not two face. I don't have any connection with Argetina, so ofcourse alot of Spur fans want to make sure Manu is okay if not than he should sit this one out.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

They aren't asking him to take less money.

He wants an extension and a raise.

Fine, stay home in SA or BA or wherever.

U want the extension, you don't mess around in the offseason.

So to participate in the most important basketball tournament in the world and represent your country is "messing around"? For all we know, Tim Duncan could be swimming in the Virgin Islands in the offseason and get his leg biten off by a shark, Tony Parker could get a crotch inflammation because he banged his hot wife so much and Udoka could be attacked by lions back home. By playing in the Olympics, Manu reduces his chances of getting injured.

Oh, and please provide a direct quote on the raise that Manu has asked.

[ATX Spur]

This thread should be re- led "TPark vs. reason"

[porscha]

any updates of manu's recovery ? anything from SA doctors yet?

[porscha]

give manu a break ! geez!
let him do the things he wants to and supports him, believing him, all I wish is to see a happy healthy manu enjoy the thing he loves to do, that's all!!!

[urunobili]

any updates of manu's recovery ? anything from SA doctors yet?

we're'all checking waiting to get news... he'll be fine

[porscha]

I can't even remember when was the last time manu plays like the manu in the picture.


don't know if it was just me but I seem to find less and less smile on his face and he looks tense and more tense over the years.
I know that the bastket ball is the thing he loves to do and I really wish he will do it happily. very happily

[porscha]

we're'all checking waiting to get news... he'll be fine

isn't manu is going back to Arg on thursday?
8pm already! isn't kinda late if there is any good news?
geez...I hope pop and manu is not having a fight right now...

worry...