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San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili’s legacy
Legendary shooting guard Manu Ginobili’s jersey retirement ceremony provides an opportunity for San Antonio Spurs fans to celebrate his legacy both on and off the floor.
While we all know about Manu Ginobili’s contributions on the court during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, his actions off-the-court were what made him truly special.
Legendary shooting guard Manu Ginobili’s jersey retirement ceremony provides an opportunity for San Antonio Spurs fans to celebrate his legacy both on and off the floor.
Emanuel David Ginobili will make his emotional return to San Antonio on Thursday night when the Spurs face the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Spurs are still fighting for playoff position, but that won’t be the main concern come Thursday night.
All eyes will be on the former Spurs guard, as his jersey number becomes the ninth to hang in the AT&T Center rafters. Manu Ginobili will be remembered for his wacky passes, his impossible finishes at the rim, and simply put, making plays that he had no business making.
What immortalizes the legend of Ginobili, however, will be his unselfish play, his leadership, and his global impact.
He will always be appreciated by Spurs fans, but as his legacy grew, basketball fans across the world began to come to a similar conclusion: Manu sacrificed personal fame for team success.
Ginobili spent most of his career coming off the bench, starting in only 10 of his last 424 career games. His 8,278 points off the bench are the seventh-most all-time, and like most prolific bench scorers, he was good enough to start for the majority of his career.
In San Antonio Spurs lore, perhaps no player is as beloved as Manu Ginobili is. Beyond his success in the NBA, he also crafted an international hoops career that few can match.
Success was no stranger to him from the outset of his 16-season career with the Spurs, as Ginobili captured four NBA titles and posted a career winning percentage of .721 (762-295) -- the best in in NBA history among players who have appeared in at least 1,000 games.
Aside from those NBA accomplishments, Ginobili is one of only two players in history, along with Bill Bradley, to win a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
Then there was the drive, dedication and all-out style of play Ginobili exemplified that endeared him to fans in San Antonio and beyond. His legacy in basketball is secure and, on Thursday, the Spurs will honor him by retiring his No. 20 jersey. That will make him the ninth Spurs player to have his number raised to the rafters, joining Bruce Bowen (No. 12), Tim Duncan (21), Sean Elliott (32), George Gervin (44), Avery Johnson (6), Johnny Moore (00), David Robinson (50) and James Silas (13).
Although he was the 57th overall pick of the 1999 Draft, Ginobili ended his career as the Spurs' all-time leader in 3-pointers made (1,495) and steals (1,392) while ranking third in games played (1,057), fourth in assists (4,001), fourth in free throws made (3,380) and fifth in points (14,043). He made the All-NBA Third Team in 2008 and '11, was a two-time All-Star ('05, '11) and the '08 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.