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YES!
"Manu Ginobili isn't finished. Doctors see no reason he won't be fine after this summer, assuming the Argentina national team isn't in charge of rehab."
Next for Manu one lefty to another
Buck Harvey
Manu Ginobili isn't finished. Doctors see no reason he won't be fine after this summer, assuming the Argentina national team isn't in charge of rehab.
He will come back with one year left on his contract, and we will see.
But instead of being consumed with that, or with the Manu-less Spurs looking like the Duncan-less Spurs of 2000, think about what will become of this brittle lefty.
Someday, he will be like another brittle lefty.
There's never been such a juxtaposition of news in franchise history. Ginobili had one of his worst Mondays, while
David Robinson had one of his best.
Robinson deserved to have the day to himself. One of his fellow Hall of Fame classmates, Michael Jordan, had already stolen most of the national attention.
But such things never mattered to Robinson. And, really, the Hall of Fame was anticlimactic for him anyway. Everyone knew early in his career he would see Springfield.
That's a contrast to Ginobili. In 1999, when he was drafted just days after Robinson won his first le, Ginobili was sure to someday see Perϊ.
There were other contrasts. Robinson went at the top of the draft, Ginobili near the bottom. Robinson battled questions about his toughness, Ginobili never did.
And then there were their bodies. Robinson's was taller and stronger and faster.
Still, beefy men beat on Robinson for a decade, and Ginobili punished himself. Eventually both broke down. Just as Robinson returned from a strained back to break a foot in 1996, Ginobili returned from ankle surgery to hurt the other foot.
An Olympic similarity: Robinson played in Atlanta in 1996 with a hernia, weakening his core, likely leading to what followed.
Some of it is luck, but the physicians who tend to these world-class athletes see a trend. These bodies are finely tuned machines. When one piece gets out of whack, that affects other pieces.
When their pieces were whole, these two were brilliant. Robinson and Ginobili were unique, with skill sets and mind-sets that didn't match up with the crowd.
And when they were together, they won. The only season they played together, they earned rings.
That 2003 team might eventually go down as a lineup of legends. If Tony Parker can continue to impress and winning a first-round series this season would impress then those Spurs could count four Hall of Fame players on their roster.
Robinson certainly has memories of that team. Monday in Detroit, when the class of 2009 was announced, he went back to his final game.
If I had to pick one night in my career, he told reporters there, it would probably be walking off the court as a champion and knowing that was going to be my last memory of basketball.
Those memories stick with those who vote for the Hall of Fame. But championships are not the only requirement; Jerry Sloan and John Stockton prove that.
This honor can be about other achievements, and those on the world stage mean a lot. Robinson was the most active men's basketball player in USA Basketball history, playing in three Olympics. And Ginobili, with his gold medal in 2004, took Argentina to a place no one dreamed possible.
Add his successes in Italy and no one will care that he was an NBA All-Star only once. He will see Springfield someday, too.
Then?
When medical opinions don't matter anymore, Ginobili will again be like Robinson.
YES!
"Manu Ginobili isn't finished. Doctors see no reason he won't be fine after this summer, assuming the Argentina national team isn't in charge of rehab."
That 2003 team might eventually go down as a lineup of legends. If Tony Parker can continue to impress — and winning a first-round series this season would impress — then those Spurs could count four Hall of Fame players on their roster.
That's a nice positive article from Buck.
I remember when he was angry with Manu last year over the Olympics, so I guess he's over it now.
I still remember David saying that he would pay to see Manu play. He has even worn a Ginobili jersey to games sometimes.
You can bet he called Manu to wish him well tonight.
Hopefully Manu can have as many years as Robinson had after his lost season. Robinson and Manu are around the same age and Robinson was able to come back and play two years at near his highest level.
Another great article Buck. Man I know its just a game but this hurts. Life as a spur fan won't be the same without #20.
I'll never forget the speech Robinson made on that night. He deserved nothing less than to go out as a champion.
Good stuff.
That actually made me feel a bit better.
The season might be lost for some, but the memories will
never fade.
Happy to hear that Manu's docs think he will be fine. This is more like what I know and expected to happen. Bone grows in response to stress, so the initial reaction may have been the start of a fracture that had already begun to heal. It is not uncommon for differing opinions (ie:stress reaction v. fracture) on imaging reports at all. In fact, it is the reason some athletes seek out second and third opinions, until someone tells them that it is OK to play.
The bone marrow edema is usually a response to a certain event. In this case, I think it was repeated daily trauma or microtrauma, as some might say. The inflammatory response is the body recognizing the injury and the start of healing. It is a normal part of healing. The bottom line is now Manu has months to rest and heal. Let's hope the Spurs' medical staff takes over now.
Nice article, but I am in worry mode .... keep TD healthy.
Did someone call me ?
None of this can cheer me up. I had so much hope this season after Manu took care of that ankle. I was excited about Hill when he filled in for Parker. I was excited about Mason Jr. turning into a scoring machine. Then all of a sudden, we get news that Manu is done.
Hopefully, but the big difference here is that Robinson was a center and up against less athletic centers. I'd also wager that as athletic as Manu is, a Robinson was a good deal more athletic. In any event, thats a great article. I especially enjoyed the perspective on 2003 and how stacked that team was.
I wasn't expecting the Spurs to win it all this year prior to this injury but now at least I have something to root for. I actually hope Tim isn't in need to be shut down. Now the Spurs get to play the role of the underdog, and thats something they haven't played for a really long time. Its unlikely, but maybe we'll see some post season magic.
Strangely, I'm more optimistic today than I was the day before.
Yeah, it took a day for it to sink in, but I am also thinking there are possibilities. , there is some talent on the team, 2 all stars, and a top tier coach to run them. Throw in some defense and a bit of luck and who knows?
I do think the first round opponent is going to take a beating from a very frustrated Spurs team.
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