Manu Ginobili Appreciation Thread

[Holden_Caulfield]

manu is my 2nd favorite player. dude made the spurs exciting.

[DrSteffo]

Thank you Manu.

[BillMc]

Manu sacrificed a lot. Only 2 All Star appearances. Play-wise, I consider him a top 3 SG all time. The stats really hurt his case though.

Dude sacrificed a testicle and a straight nose for the team too. Major props.

[BillMc]

So, if Manu makes HOF on the first ballot, who else is he likely to in with? Who else retired this year? Can't think of anyone major immediately.

[DAF86]

Huh? He would have been in the all-star game if he was voted in.

If the all-star voting would have remained fans voting only, he would have got in.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

With Timmy you knew the knee was gone and so it was easier to accept him retiring I think. Manu could still play this year and play well I think...but him walking away on his own terms though is pretty cool for Manu. He had some really good moments last year and carried the Spurs in many games, especially down the stretch.

I'm really bummed I didn't get to see him play one last time, but really grateful for all the memories.

[BatManu20]

So, if Manu makes HOF on the first ballot, who else is he likely to in with? Who else retired this year? Can't think of anyone major immediately.

D-Wade for sure if he decides to hang em up. Chauncey Billups has a chance too.

[TimmyBuckets]

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2018...letter-to-fans

Translation of Manu's column in La Nacion.

I sit here writing with mixed feelings, just like I said on the tweet announcing my retirement. I’m very excited about the decision I made and for what’s coming, but also uncertain of how I’ll adjust to a day to day life that doesn’t include thinking about the next game. I’ve been playing my whole adult life, since I was 18 and left for La Rioja up to a couple of months. It’s going to be strange, no doubt, but I believe I’m well prepared and I’m certain I’m surrounded by the best possible people to face it.

Besides, I can’t claim this was a rushed or unexpected decision. I’m 41 years old. I really squeezed all the juice out of this whole basketball thing, right? There’s also the fact that last season was, in my mind, the last one at all times. I never made that known because it made no sense to limit my options. I wanted to leave the door open, in case I changed my mind and felt the physical and mental strength needed to face an NBA season.

When the season ended, I let a couple of months go by to see how I felt, like I usually do. In a meeting before I went to Canada on vacation, I told Pop that I thought I was more likely out than in, but we would stay in touch and talk when I got back. During our holiday, Many and I talked about the very real possibility that this was actually it, but we never dared confirm it or really believe it fully. I wanted to have the chance to return to San Antonio and see if something would awake in me, calling me back to the court. The opposite happened. I got back and started lifting weights and taking shots, watching the young guys bust their backs trying to get in shape for preseason while I was still feeling pain from two hits I suffered last season. I slowly started to convince myself of making this decision.

I had to wait a few days until Pop returned from Europe, because I wanted him to be the first one to know and the first one I talked to about it. On August 27 it was time to make my decision public. You can’t imagine how stressed I was in front of that screen before hitting “send.” I don’t really know why, since I was convinced it was the right decision for me. It was crazy. I’m certain and happy with the step I took.

It’s hard to explain what I felt. Right after, I experienced great relief and I thought I was going to be able to disconnect, but the messages kept pouring in and I couldn’t help but read them. Some made me emotional. I really should say made us emotional, because Many, my wife, is going through this with me. She’s also retiring. We’ve shared 21 of these 23 years I played. She suffered through every compe ion, celebrating, crying, yelling, from up close and far away. She even put up with me leaving for two months in the offseason to go play with the national team, instead of going on family vacations. She took care of the house through it all, of our kids, of making sure they didn’t wake me up early before an important game. She was the one who supported me in losses and celebrated with me in victory. Anyway, the list of what she means to me could go on for a few more pages.

I’m probably not the only one who feels this way about retirement. It must happen in every job. It’s just that, in basketball, achieving the sense of family we had in San Antonio is unusual. To play with some of the same teammates for 16 years, for the same coach, and to see the same faces year after year generates a strong sense of belonging. I don’t want to start naming people, because I’m sure I’d be unfair with some. But just like I said in my tweet, I’m immensely grateful to everyone.

I did made it clear to Pop that this is not a “bye, I’m out” situation. My kids already started school and while I’m in the city, I’m going to be close to the team and the franchise. I might not be able to help by drawing a charge or getting a steal or whatever, but I’ll try to pitch in wherever I can. I have a deep affection for my teammates, the staff and everyone around the team and I want them to do as well as possible. If I can help from the outside, I’ll be glad to do so.

I can say that I did everything I wanted to do in basketball. I played until I wanted, until I was 41, while others have to retire before their time because they get hurt or for other reasons. I have nothing I wished I could have done but didn’t. I even actually indulged in playing these past three years like you would with friends, without feeling the pressure of being solely responsible for how things went, feeling like I had already done all I could to lead us to success. I played because I liked to play, and because of the respect and affection I had for the place in which I was.

I thanked everyone the way I could on my tweet, because there’s a lot of people with whom I shared time on this road. One of the things I’m the happiest about looking back is that I never had a fight with the teammates I played with, all 274 of them, or with the coaches. I didn’t have many, but with the nine coaches I had I got along great, feeling mutual respect and appreciation. And then there’s also the vast amount of people who work in the shadows, busting their backs so that we can be in playing shape. They might not be in the spotlight or have their names in the media, but they are crucial for the success of an organization.

I also have to mention that I became the player that I was only after going to Europe. Beyond just the success I had in Bologna and the growing up I did in Reggio Calabria, everything I learned there helped me later compete at the highest level in the NBA.

Everything about my career was special. It’s not common to be on a team for such a long time and it’s certainly not common to have processes in which a handful of players spend 20 years together, like it happened with the Spurs and the Golden Generation. I was fortunate enough to be a part of two groups who had incredible relevance in the sport, and on both occasions it was with a group of people of unmatched quality. As a professional, to have experienced that is astounding.

I have to thank the San Antonio fans, who embraced me since day one. My Latino origin and the fact I spoke Spanish surely helped build a bond with them. We had a unique connection for 16 years, with unconditional love and support. As for my Argentine fans, I have no words. What we lived, for example, in Mar Del Plata and Rio de Janeiro is hard to forget. I can’t really described what I experienced with the national team in a couple of sentences. I can say I was profoundly touch by the love I was showered with in Rio, on my last game. Beyond that, seeing a stream of Argentinians past through San Antonio to watch me play over the past few years was just amazing. I know the sacrifices they had to make to come and that moved me.

Well, it’s now time for me to start spending more time with my wife and kids; to enjoy quality time in Argentina with friends and family; to eat my old man’s polenta and barbecue with friends; to spend the second half of my life without so many responsibilities and take care of my body, since it’s the only one I have. I will, ultimately, enjoy this free time I have, since it’s what everyone is after and it’s available to me, at 41. Thank you all for supporting me through this long journey.

[dg7md]

Thank you Manu, always my favorite Spur. I will miss his style of play that won us games but also costed us (see: 2006 vs. Mavs), but he was the heart and soul of the team for the longest time. It is impressive he made it as long as he did.

I am ready for us to move into the next generation, though, but I will not forget his contributions.

[BillMc]

D-Wade for sure if he decides to hang em up. Chauncey Billups has a chance too.

I didn't know D-wade was seriously considering retiring. If true that'd be a good classmate.

[BatManu20]

Since the Basketball HOF changed the waiting period for eligibility from 4 years to 3 years a few months ago, Manu will now be eligible for the 2021 Class.

[Monostradamus]

Thanks for the memories, Manu!

[DAF86]

Anyone has ESPN insider access?

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/stor...-antonio-spurs

[BatManu20]

[SnakeBoy]

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2018...letter-to-fans

Translation of Manu's column in La Nacion.

I sit here writing with mixed feelings, just like I said on the tweet announcing my retirement. I’m very excited about the decision I made and for what’s coming, but also uncertain of how I’ll adjust to a day to day life that doesn’t include thinking about the next game. I’ve been playing my whole adult life, since I was 18 and left for La Rioja up to a couple of months. It’s going to be strange, no doubt, but I believe I’m well prepared and I’m certain I’m surrounded by the best possible people to face it.

Besides, I can’t claim this was a rushed or unexpected decision. I’m 41 years old. I really squeezed all the juice out of this whole basketball thing, right? There’s also the fact that last season was, in my mind, the last one at all times. I never made that known because it made no sense to limit my options. I wanted to leave the door open, in case I changed my mind and felt the physical and mental strength needed to face an NBA season.

When the season ended, I let a couple of months go by to see how I felt, like I usually do. In a meeting before I went to Canada on vacation, I told Pop that I thought I was more likely out than in, but we would stay in touch and talk when I got back. During our holiday, Many and I talked about the very real possibility that this was actually it, but we never dared confirm it or really believe it fully. I wanted to have the chance to return to San Antonio and see if something would awake in me, calling me back to the court. The opposite happened. I got back and started lifting weights and taking shots, watching the young guys bust their backs trying to get in shape for preseason while I was still feeling pain from two hits I suffered last season. I slowly started to convince myself of making this decision.

I had to wait a few days until Pop returned from Europe, because I wanted him to be the first one to know and the first one I talked to about it. On August 27 it was time to make my decision public. You can’t imagine how stressed I was in front of that screen before hitting “send.” I don’t really know why, since I was convinced it was the right decision for me. It was crazy. I’m certain and happy with the step I took.

It’s hard to explain what I felt. Right after, I experienced great relief and I thought I was going to be able to disconnect, but the messages kept pouring in and I couldn’t help but read them. Some made me emotional. I really should say made us emotional, because Many, my wife, is going through this with me. She’s also retiring. We’ve shared 21 of these 23 years I played. She suffered through every compe ion, celebrating, crying, yelling, from up close and far away. She even put up with me leaving for two months in the offseason to go play with the national team, instead of going on family vacations. She took care of the house through it all, of our kids, of making sure they didn’t wake me up early before an important game. She was the one who supported me in losses and celebrated with me in victory. Anyway, the list of what she means to me could go on for a few more pages.

I’m probably not the only one who feels this way about retirement. It must happen in every job. It’s just that, in basketball, achieving the sense of family we had in San Antonio is unusual. To play with some of the same teammates for 16 years, for the same coach, and to see the same faces year after year generates a strong sense of belonging. I don’t want to start naming people, because I’m sure I’d be unfair with some. But just like I said in my tweet, I’m immensely grateful to everyone.

I did made it clear to Pop that this is not a “bye, I’m out” situation. My kids already started school and while I’m in the city, I’m going to be close to the team and the franchise. I might not be able to help by drawing a charge or getting a steal or whatever, but I’ll try to pitch in wherever I can. I have a deep affection for my teammates, the staff and everyone around the team and I want them to do as well as possible. If I can help from the outside, I’ll be glad to do so.

I can say that I did everything I wanted to do in basketball. I played until I wanted, until I was 41, while others have to retire before their time because they get hurt or for other reasons. I have nothing I wished I could have done but didn’t. I even actually indulged in playing these past three years like you would with friends, without feeling the pressure of being solely responsible for how things went, feeling like I had already done all I could to lead us to success. I played because I liked to play, and because of the respect and affection I had for the place in which I was.

I thanked everyone the way I could on my tweet, because there’s a lot of people with whom I shared time on this road. One of the things I’m the happiest about looking back is that I never had a fight with the teammates I played with, all 274 of them, or with the coaches. I didn’t have many, but with the nine coaches I had I got along great, feeling mutual respect and appreciation. And then there’s also the vast amount of people who work in the shadows, busting their backs so that we can be in playing shape. They might not be in the spotlight or have their names in the media, but they are crucial for the success of an organization.

I also have to mention that I became the player that I was only after going to Europe. Beyond just the success I had in Bologna and the growing up I did in Reggio Calabria, everything I learned there helped me later compete at the highest level in the NBA.

Everything about my career was special. It’s not common to be on a team for such a long time and it’s certainly not common to have processes in which a handful of players spend 20 years together, like it happened with the Spurs and the Golden Generation. I was fortunate enough to be a part of two groups who had incredible relevance in the sport, and on both occasions it was with a group of people of unmatched quality. As a professional, to have experienced that is astounding.

I have to thank the San Antonio fans, who embraced me since day one. My Latino origin and the fact I spoke Spanish surely helped build a bond with them. We had a unique connection for 16 years, with unconditional love and support. As for my Argentine fans, I have no words. What we lived, for example, in Mar Del Plata and Rio de Janeiro is hard to forget. I can’t really described what I experienced with the national team in a couple of sentences. I can say I was profoundly touch by the love I was showered with in Rio, on my last game. Beyond that, seeing a stream of Argentinians past through San Antonio to watch me play over the past few years was just amazing. I know the sacrifices they had to make to come and that moved me.

Well, it’s now time for me to start spending more time with my wife and kids; to enjoy quality time in Argentina with friends and family; to eat my old man’s polenta and barbecue with friends; to spend the second half of my life without so many responsibilities and take care of my body, since it’s the only one I have. I will, ultimately, enjoy this free time I have, since it’s what everyone is after and it’s available to me, at 41. Thank you all for supporting me through this long journey.

It's not bad but it could have been more heartfelt. Bummer he only said thank you once and he didn't even use all caps.

[SuperCam]

when will pat riley put up his jersey in the rafters for the ring he gave them in '13 and probably '06?

[Brazil]

tough times for pop tbh...

[SpursDynasty85]

BUT even using .3 is a compliment if you gonna Be real and honest. Manu did everything right. A contest without fouling, a heavily contested shot is very low %. And furthermore Fisher has to break his form and follow through on the release... Fisher was a clutch player but that shot was luck. Good luck Lakers, bad luck Spurs... Manu defended that play as best as anyone could...
Great photograph if I were still coaching I would use that Pic to demonstrate a perfect close/contest.

Not in the NBA. Best closeout are the ones that have the highest reach which usually means your closing out with one hand. Manu took the safe route. Just like parker on Ray Allen. You close out on clutch shooters by changing the arc of their shot not crowding them.

[DMC]

Will kawhi say anything about manu?

"He was good... what? I said he was good"

[TimmyBuckets]

Not in the NBA. Best closeout are the ones that have the highest reach which usually means your closing out with one hand. Manu took the safe route. Just like parker on Ray Allen. You close out on clutch shooters by changing the arc of their shot not crowding them.

Doesn't matter, they started the clock late. BS shot.

[DMC]

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2018...letter-to-fans

Translation of Manu's column in La Nacion.

I sit here writing with mixed feelings, just like I said on the tweet announcing my retirement. I’m very excited about the decision I made and for what’s coming, but also uncertain of how I’ll adjust to a day to day life that doesn’t include thinking about the next game. I’ve been playing my whole adult life, since I was 18 and left for La Rioja up to a couple of months. It’s going to be strange, no doubt, but I believe I’m well prepared and I’m certain I’m surrounded by the best possible people to face it.

Besides, I can’t claim this was a rushed or unexpected decision. I’m 41 years old. I really squeezed all the juice out of this whole basketball thing, right? There’s also the fact that last season was, in my mind, the last one at all times. I never made that known because it made no sense to limit my options. I wanted to leave the door open, in case I changed my mind and felt the physical and mental strength needed to face an NBA season.

When the season ended, I let a couple of months go by to see how I felt, like I usually do. In a meeting before I went to Canada on vacation, I told Pop that I thought I was more likely out than in, but we would stay in touch and talk when I got back. During our holiday, Many and I talked about the very real possibility that this was actually it, but we never dared confirm it or really believe it fully. I wanted to have the chance to return to San Antonio and see if something would awake in me, calling me back to the court. The opposite happened. I got back and started lifting weights and taking shots, watching the young guys bust their backs trying to get in shape for preseason while I was still feeling pain from two hits I suffered last season. I slowly started to convince myself of making this decision.

I had to wait a few days until Pop returned from Europe, because I wanted him to be the first one to know and the first one I talked to about it. On August 27 it was time to make my decision public. You can’t imagine how stressed I was in front of that screen before hitting “send.” I don’t really know why, since I was convinced it was the right decision for me. It was crazy. I’m certain and happy with the step I took.

It’s hard to explain what I felt. Right after, I experienced great relief and I thought I was going to be able to disconnect, but the messages kept pouring in and I couldn’t help but read them. Some made me emotional. I really should say made us emotional, because Many, my wife, is going through this with me. She’s also retiring. We’ve shared 21 of these 23 years I played. She suffered through every compe ion, celebrating, crying, yelling, from up close and far away. She even put up with me leaving for two months in the offseason to go play with the national team, instead of going on family vacations. She took care of the house through it all, of our kids, of making sure they didn’t wake me up early before an important game. She was the one who supported me in losses and celebrated with me in victory. Anyway, the list of what she means to me could go on for a few more pages.

I’m probably not the only one who feels this way about retirement. It must happen in every job. It’s just that, in basketball, achieving the sense of family we had in San Antonio is unusual. To play with some of the same teammates for 16 years, for the same coach, and to see the same faces year after year generates a strong sense of belonging. I don’t want to start naming people, because I’m sure I’d be unfair with some. But just like I said in my tweet, I’m immensely grateful to everyone.

I did made it clear to Pop that this is not a “bye, I’m out” situation. My kids already started school and while I’m in the city, I’m going to be close to the team and the franchise. I might not be able to help by drawing a charge or getting a steal or whatever, but I’ll try to pitch in wherever I can. I have a deep affection for my teammates, the staff and everyone around the team and I want them to do as well as possible. If I can help from the outside, I’ll be glad to do so.

I can say that I did everything I wanted to do in basketball. I played until I wanted, until I was 41, while others have to retire before their time because they get hurt or for other reasons. I have nothing I wished I could have done but didn’t. I even actually indulged in playing these past three years like you would with friends, without feeling the pressure of being solely responsible for how things went, feeling like I had already done all I could to lead us to success. I played because I liked to play, and because of the respect and affection I had for the place in which I was.

I thanked everyone the way I could on my tweet, because there’s a lot of people with whom I shared time on this road. One of the things I’m the happiest about looking back is that I never had a fight with the teammates I played with, all 274 of them, or with the coaches. I didn’t have many, but with the nine coaches I had I got along great, feeling mutual respect and appreciation. And then there’s also the vast amount of people who work in the shadows, busting their backs so that we can be in playing shape. They might not be in the spotlight or have their names in the media, but they are crucial for the success of an organization.

I also have to mention that I became the player that I was only after going to Europe. Beyond just the success I had in Bologna and the growing up I did in Reggio Calabria, everything I learned there helped me later compete at the highest level in the NBA.

Everything about my career was special. It’s not common to be on a team for such a long time and it’s certainly not common to have processes in which a handful of players spend 20 years together, like it happened with the Spurs and the Golden Generation. I was fortunate enough to be a part of two groups who had incredible relevance in the sport, and on both occasions it was with a group of people of unmatched quality. As a professional, to have experienced that is astounding.

I have to thank the San Antonio fans, who embraced me since day one. My Latino origin and the fact I spoke Spanish surely helped build a bond with them. We had a unique connection for 16 years, with unconditional love and support. As for my Argentine fans, I have no words. What we lived, for example, in Mar Del Plata and Rio de Janeiro is hard to forget. I can’t really described what I experienced with the national team in a couple of sentences. I can say I was profoundly touch by the love I was showered with in Rio, on my last game. Beyond that, seeing a stream of Argentinians past through San Antonio to watch me play over the past few years was just amazing. I know the sacrifices they had to make to come and that moved me.

Well, it’s now time for me to start spending more time with my wife and kids; to enjoy quality time in Argentina with friends and family; to eat my old man’s polenta and barbecue with friends; to spend the second half of my life without so many responsibilities and take care of my body, since it’s the only one I have. I will, ultimately, enjoy this free time I have, since it’s what everyone is after and it’s available to me, at 41. Thank you all for supporting me through this long journey.

I can see midseason, Manu in the stands, draws a charge as a fan.

[DMC]

It's not bad but it could have been more heartfelt. Bummer he only said thank you once and he didn't even use all caps.

He didn't tap his chest a few times and point to the crowd. Definitely not HOFer

[Beartrucci]

How has Harden not said anything? He got so much of his game from Manu, probably more than anyone.

[BillMc]

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

How has Harden not said anything? He got so much of his game from Manu, probably more than anyone.

That block. He was Manu's . Manu's es only talk when Manu says they can talk. I didn't see Manu giving Harden permission.