Reply With Quote
awesome!!!!
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...1890c0fe4.html
Ginobili follows own path toward leadership status
Web Posted: 03/30/2005 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Manu Ginobili doesn't have Avery Johnson's fire-and-brimstone speeches. Or Mario Elie's four-letter vocabulary. Or even the icy stare Tim Duncan employs on occasion.
He hasn't grabbed Rasho Nesterovic's jersey, as Elie once did to David Robinson, and demanded he dunk. He hasn't stood in the bus, as Robinson did, and delivered a pep talk.
He lacks Kevin Willis' experience, as well as his chiseled 7-foot presence. His accent is Spanish, not Southern-fried like Johnson's.
And yet, in these trying times, with Duncan on the sidelines and the playoffs approaching, Ginobili has led and the Spurs have followed.
"He commands that kind of respect from his teammates," coach Gregg Popovich said, "and I think he's just beginning to realize that."
While Ginobili has begun to talk more in timeouts and other on-court situations, he's a firm believer in how loudly actions speak. He watched, angrily, on the bench Friday night as the Spurs' 23-point lead on Atlanta became seven. Once he returned to the floor, he bulled his way to the basket on six-straight possessions.
Ginobili scored on each. The Spurs beat the Hawks 111-95.
With the score tied in the final quarter against Houston on Sunday, Ginobili stripped the ball from Yao Ming underneath the Rockets' basket and dashed the length of the court to draw a foul. A couple of minutes later, he knocked the ball loose from Tracy McGrady and drove for a layup.
Ginobili's energy and Brent Barry's torrid shooting fueled the Spurs as they outscored Houston 21-2.
"When he plays with that kind of passion," Sean Marks said, "how can you not try to copy him?"
Ginobili's fearlessness has earned him the admiration of teammates and opponents. Last month, Shaquille O'Neal marveled at how Ginobili challenged him by taking the ball to the rim. For the past two weeks, the Spurs have watched him grind on heavy legs.
Now in his third season in the NBA, Ginobili has grown more confident with his position on the team.
His new contract and elevation into the starting lineup affirmed the franchise's faith in him. His selection to the All-Star team showed how much opposing coaches value his contributions. His sense of humor and warm personality, the same qualities that have won over fans and media, have made him well-liked in the locker room.
Ginobili still isn't comfortable enough to chide teammates as openly as he did Argentina's national team in the Olympics. In Italy, where Ginobili and Los Angeles Clippers guard Marko Jaric led Kinder Bologna together, he also confidently spoke out when necessary.
In both places, however, he grew into that role.
"It's not something you can impose on a player," Ginobili said. "Even if Pop wanted me to do it, he can't tell me to do it. You have to feel it.
"My biggest concern now is to not let the team be flat. I just prefer, in this moment, to be contagious with my energy and aggressiveness and have that (anger) inside of you — a good (anger)."
Robert Horry's experience and cool demeanor, Popovich said, also has been valuable during Duncan's absence. Duncan, meanwhile, has continued to coax his teammates from the sidelines and provide advice during timeouts
Neither Duncan nor Horry, however, had to overcome a language barrier to develop their communication skills. Though Ginobili's English is good, he sometimes speaks as he plays: frenzied.
"It's a definite drawback in a leadership situation because you just naturally defer to other people first," Popovich said, "Manu is just getting over that."
Ginobili still reverts to Spanish when he's really angry. (It's easier to avoid a technical foul if the referees can't understand you.)
And sometimes Popovich does enough cursing for everyone: Teammates are more inclined to accept advice if the coach didn't light a player up five minutes earlier for winging the ball into section 103.
So, for now, Ginobili thinks his best leadership is done by example. But on occasion, as he did after last week's loss in Indiana, he will speak up.
Then, Ginobili made it clear that each player, including himself, needed to raise his aggressiveness if the Spurs intended to win without Duncan.
"If you finish the game and you lose because your main guy is not there and the other team did better, OK," Ginobili said. "If you miss shots or make turnovers, that's one thing.
"But you can't lose because you're flat. I won't accept that."
awesome!!!!
See, this is exactly what the Spurs need. An energetic, furiously compe ive leader. Timmy is definitely a leader, but he is softer, more introvertive, and leads by example. Tim and Manu both have to co-exist as leaders, because they each have different styles.
It thrills me to read quotes like this, and to see it backed up with great play on the court. It is so rare to find a player whose performance on the court can actually back up what they say to the extent that Manu's can."But you can't lose because you're flat. I won't accept that."
Yeah it's great to see Manu step up like this...one of this teams weaknesses has been a lack of a firey leader...
TimVP wanted AJ for this role...well he got Manu instead and Manu will garner more respect because he does everything on the court...and he's not otherworldly talented like Drob and Duncan were...he just busts his ass...IF he looks some guy in the eye and tells them to get their ass in gear or knock down a shot or give up his body on D...he's not asking them to do anything he doesn't do game in and game out...and there is no way they can resent it if they are a man with character.
On top of that Manu has a ton of charisma which is really needed to be a leader...he doesn't just have the respect of his own teamates...he's got the respect of his coach and a growing list of SuperStars and HOF'ers...Manu's charisma helps him be a leader...his charisma is strong enough to overcome the language barrier IMO.
Duncan has tried to fill that role...but it's not his strong suit, even when he is vocal he isn't firey...he's smooth... and I think he would rather have someone else do that.
Plus, what can he tell them? Be a basketball god like myself?
He has the same problem Drob had...he can't really tell guys what they need to do because he's never been a normal player like they were...Plus a bigman has so many other things to worry about he can't really pay that much attention to his teamates struggles...guards get to see it all.
I think Manu doesn't really want to be the leader either...I think Manu and Duncan would both willingly cede that role to Parker who does seem to want it...
The problem is Tony is too inexperienced to really pull it off at championship level...like right now Tony is struggling with learning how to pace himself...I know he'll overcome it like he does everything else...but Manu and Duncan are just both so much more experienced than Parker is...Parker can't be bossing Robert Horry and Duncan and Manu around when he can't even figure out how to save himself for the 4th.
Parker will one day be the leader of this team..but today is not yet that day.
And Manu is again altering his style, his play, and his role, and giving the team what it most needs, like he has done every year of his career here...And most importantly I think even Duncan will respect him in this role...
Last edited by whottt; 03-30-2005 at 05:08 AM.
Manu is such an amazing influence to Spurs in general
You can tell Pop is developing a serious case of man-love for Manu with the way he talks about him.....I give it 6 months before he asks Manu to marry him.
I thought he was already married to Rasho
There's something else that's kind of interesting about Manu emerging as a leader...he's really the first international player to become a team leader, and I noticed that when I saw him talking in the huddle and the media, that accent, it's unsual to hear a guy firing guys up in an NBA game with a foreign accent .....I can't really think of another international player that has become a leader on an NBA team yet. I hope Manu realizes that his teamates respect him enough that they don't care if his English is perfect...
Manu is a guy whose respect you want...and that's the #1 quality a leader must have.
I thought he was already married to Rasho
Manu will be a great leader, he is the fan favorite (despite Sequ and Rascal stupidity) and we signed him for 54 million, this is one of the greatest steal ever.
I can't figure out why a thread about Manu almost always contains Tony bashing, there is enough post about that already.
This reminds me of the relationship between Magic and Kareem. Hopefully, our duo can bring SA five les too.See, this is exactly what the Spurs need. An energetic, furiously compe ive leader. Timmy is definitely a leader, but he is softer, more introvertive, and leads by example. Tim and Manu both have to co-exist as leaders, because they each have different styles.
talk about optimism!
I agree 100%, you can't argue with a guy that busts his hide for your team day in and day out, and anyone who has ever been in a compe ive situation knows in their heart not to do that. I have to say I like whottt's analysis, I think you're right on bro.
Manu is really starting to blossom IMO, the longer his here the more comfortable he becomes and that results is less heretic play which is more controlled but equally productive.
Manu is a stud this leadership is just another step to reaching his full potential in the nba
Manu had a great game against the Sonics in the last matchup in Seattle. I think from now until the end of the season, Manu will carry us.
I just hope he doesn't kill himself in the process. In a way, I hope Pop limits his minutes but I don't think he can afford to, unless we have a nice lead. I don't like the idea of falling to the third seed.
I remember that punk Jerome James saying that he wouldn't let people drive the lane so easily the next time they play the Spurs. I know Manu certainly isn't fazed by scrubs like James but Seattle's bigs are really dirty, even without Fortson. I hope Pop lets Mass, Nazr or Horry get physical with them if they try and pull any .
There's Nash. And he speaks Canadian.
Every true Spurs fan should have man love for Manu. The guy is by far the most compe ive player in the NBA.....and Rose of course.
Yeah I forgot about Nash, damn Canadians...I don't know if he's really a leader though...at least not like what Manu is doing now.There's Nash. And he speaks Canadian.
I agree. Nash is probably the best or one of the best Floor Generals. I don't think he is the Locker room and sideline leader of his team. But just in case we can say that Manu is the only Foreign leader from Overseas that has stepped up. Except for maybe that Duncan guy.
About Nash, he can be a leader as well. Recently he started yelling at his teammates when they got behind some team they should have beaten easily. It worked.
Back to Manu. Heard Wilbon say last night on PTI that the NBA was in trouble with fans because of all the "International" players now in the NBA. I believe he was saying that the interest level among fans was waning because Americans didn't identify with them.
What say ye to that?
"Heard Wilbon say last....What say ye to that?"
Wilbon has plenty of foreign blood in him, which is more foreign the Manu's European blood.
Latinos are, or will be very soon, surpassing Wilbon's bruvva's as the biggest, wealtiest ethnic group. And those Latinos, N. _and_ S. American, dig Latin Manu
(and 2 x Carlos, and Eduardo, and Rafael, and Leandro, and Nene, and Anderson, and Luis, and Andres, and Daniel, etc)
Wilbon's problem is that Manu isn't black.
I guess Steve Nash doesnt count as a leader?
Good Article.
You should read the rest of the thread...it's a good one.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
