By Rasheeb Shrestha
SpursZONE.com
I know he still thinks about it every day. No, I’ve never met him, never spoken to him, never even been closer than five feet of him. But I am certain he still dwells on that moment. And I am certain it’s eating him alive.
For Manu Ginobili, there is no in between. It’s feast or famine, heaven or , elation or devastation. His mind, body, and soul are programmed to do one thing -- win at all costs.
In Game 7 of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2006 second round showdown vs. the Dallas Mavericks, Ginobili epitomized exactly that. His heart and hustle, along with the brilliance of Tim Duncan, were the reasons the Spurs had made it to a Game 7 in the first place. And that’s also what kept them alive in that decisive game, rallying from 20 points down to even the score in the final minute.
Ginobili’s three-pointer with less than 30 seconds left not only gave the Spurs their first lead of the night, but it also seemed like the defining moment on their run to another championship. It appeared that finally, after all the Spurs had been through that season -- from the plantar fasciitis to the scare from the Kings to the 3 games to 1 deficit to the punch below the belt -- that it was all meant for this moment. And it would have all been worth it -- oh, would it have been worth it.
But then, unbelievably, it happened. Dirk Nowitzki drove and Ginobili reacted, doing the one thing Gregg Popovich had stressed not to do. The bucket and subsequent free throw merely tied the game. But for all intense and purposes, it ended it. There was no way the Spurs were going to recover from that in time to salvage the game, the series, the season. Now the question is: can Manu Ginobili recover from that mistake in time to salvage the rest of his career?
If you think the Spurs don’t have concerns about Manu’s mental state going into next season, you’re kidding yourself. Many of his Spur teammates tried to console him immediately following the Game 7 loss to no avail. The next day, Popovich went out of his way to absolve his star guard of any blame, stating that Ginobili was “the stud of the world” and that the Spurs would have two less championships without him.
Remember, this is the same Ginobili who admitted to being so rattled by his first round, Game 3 turnover in the closing seconds against Sacramento, that he played tentative in Game 4. If he could react so poorly after his mistake cost his team one game, how is he going to react now after another mistake cost them the entire season?
If history is any indication, you have to like Ginobili’s chances of coming out of this alright. After all, Manu was also the one guarding Derek Fisher for the “0.4” incident two years ago. Some, including the late, great writer Ralph Wiley, put the blame on Ginobili, stating he should have played more up in Fisher’s grill because it’s unlikely the refs would have called a foul in that situation.
Most “experts” blamed Popovich for not having someone guard the inbounds passer. But again, Manu put the loss on himself, as his comments suggested afterwards: “I watched the replay (of Fisher’s shot) so I could see if I played any defense so that I can sleep at night.”
Instead of having that loss and that moment stew in his system for an entire offseason, he was lucky enough to have an outlet -- the same outlet he’ll have this summer -- the Argentine National Team. His triumph in Athens not only made him a living legend in his home country, it also served as a kick-start to his fabulous 2004-05 NBA season with the Spurs, in which he made his first All-Star team and came within one vote of sharing the Finals MVP with Duncan.
At the end of that season, Ginobili was widely considered one of the top five players in the world, and the Fisher shot became a distant memory.
Now here we are, just over a year later, and Ginobili finds himself facing his demons yet again. He will not be so lucky this time around -- nobody with a sense of NBA history will ever forget his foul on Nowitzki. It will go down notoriously in NBA lore much like Isiah Thomas’ errant pass in the ‘87 Eastern Conference Finals and Nick Anderson’s missed free throws in the ‘95 NBA Finals.
But again, Manu will not have to worry about the NBA just yet. As he heads to Japan for the FIBA World Basketball Championship, his Argentine National Team is by no means a clear cut favorite to win it all. Every team will be gunning to dethrone them, including Dwyane Wade and the U.S., Pau Gasol and Spain, his Spur teammate Tony Parker and France, and his old nemesis Dirk Nowitzki and Germany. It is quite clear that Manu will have to be in top form if Argentina is to come out on top.
The Spurs would like nothing more than for Ginobili to play well in Japan. It could go a long way towards healing the wounds of this past May. However, the Spurs’ worry for Ginobili does not only extend to his mind.
Manu clearly was never himself physically at any point during last season, as he battled multiple injuries to his right foot and leg. He’s nearing 30 years old, and if you take into account his hectic style of play, his many summers playing for his native Argentina, and his rail-thin body, you have to wonder if he can ever regain his elite status. And even if he does, how much longer can he stay at that level?
One thing is for certain, in order for the Spurs to reclaim their lost le, they need Manu to play like he did two seasons ago. While no one will ever question his heart, his body and mind are up for debate. ESPN Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons recently wrote that he thinks Ginobili will either be haunted by the Nowitzki foul and never be the same, or he will use it to his advantage and come back better than ever.
It’s a scary theory for Spurs fans, but it’s a theory that’s probably true. Which way will he go? Will Manu react to his mistake like Nick Anderson or like Isiah Thomas? Will he allow his mind to play tricks on him while his body continues to fail him? Or can he put it all behind him and continue on his unique career path that could eventually land him in the Hall of Fame?
Come this weekend in Japan, we’ll begin to find out.
i share the same concern for manu's body, but i think mentally, he has recovered from that last play.
by the way, for those interested, I posted pics of the Philips Singapore Cup where Manu and Beno and ex-Spur Rasho played in Manu's english forum.
http://manuginobili.com/forum/viewto...=271539#271539
Wait a minute the Mavs blew us out with their deep bench and awesome athletic ability... this author has no idea...
My kingdom for an editor...But for all intense and purposes, it ended it.
Rasheeb is one of us. Here are some of his other articles:
http://www.fullsportpress.com/artman...index_52.shtml
(nice article Rasheeb - BTW, it's a common mistake but it should be "But for all intents and purposes" instead of "intense and purposes")
Awesome pictures carina_gino20
WTF? I thought it was "for all intensive porpoises" ??
this writer has no idea. game 7 last playoffs is the last thing in Manu's head right now
if he sucks it most likely will be cause he is not hungry enough anymore
I posted it here before I edited it. It's corrected online.
How about some comment on the article, rather than the typo?
Thanks! So many great great pics!
although i have to say this is my fav....
Juan Carlos Navarro just may be the hottest thing I've seen all day
Good article. I'm not sure I neccesarily agree with it though...I don't think Manu will be dwelling too much on that foul. Bottom line is, I think he and the entire team know that they didn't lose that series because of that single (dumb!) foul. There were a lot of reasons that sort of rolled together: Sporatic defense, rebounding, questionable calls, almost no production from our bench, and our inability to score in an OT Game 7 on our own homecourt. It's not just Manu who should be "haunted" by that series...it should be the entire team...from Beno to Coach Pop. Mistakes were made by everyone.
Next season...I expect everyone to react like they're on a mission and are still being haunted from the Mavs series.
I have to agree.Thanks! So many great great pics!
although i have to say this is my fav....
Juan Carlos Navarro just may be the hottest thing I've seen all day
The girl that took the pics is lucky! Looks like she had some pretty close seats.
I hope we find that Manu has brought some newfound swagger come next year's playoffs, ready to co-lead the Spurs to the franchise's fourth le.
No Rasheeb, you have no idea. Manu is not a 8 years old player anymore. You dont know him at all.
I agree with this comment. I don't particularly care for article that states what a person is thinking when the author has never even interviewed the subject.No Rasheeb, you have no idea. Manu is not a 8 years old player anymore. You dont know him at all.
Agreed.
Also there are so many great aspects of Gino's career, I am tired of people beating one dead horse play.
It's done already. Let it go.
I think the article seems like it was written by a Spurs fan that lived through all the 90's heartbreakers/choke jobs, and still carries that baggage with them.
As high pressure as the playoffs are, I have to think that for Manu personally it pales in comparison to the pressure he's under playing for the National Team. Tentative play might last for a game or two (everybody not named Jordan has slumps) but there is no indication that Manu is so mentally weak that one bad play, no matter how major, would turn him into Nick Anderson. Quite the contrary, I think that as long as his body holds up it is more likely that he will be a better player next year than he was this year.
He made a tactical error. No more, no less. The fact that he was pissed and inconsolable for days afterward tells me he has a passion and drive to win that is rare even among pro athletes, and the fact that he made such a bad error really got to him. How personable were Bird or Jordan after their seasons ended without a ring? And you know they held themselves accountable for the loss - it is what ultra-compe ive people do.
Come on...just watch his face today at practice
i actually didn't know him when i took that pic.Thanks! So many great great pics!
although i have to say this is my fav....
Juan Carlos Navarro just may be the hottest thing I've seen all day
2 out of 3 days, I sat right behind the argentina bench.
...........and the crowd goes mild.
this part is like the "single bullet theory" to all mavs fans. i've always said he'll last about 4, maybe 5 more years because of his physicality. i expect, and hope, he plays with his heart on his sleeve for a total of 98 games during this regular season.
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