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Manu Ginobili: Hall of Fame?

Does Manu deserve a spot in the HoF?

By Shandon PendletonPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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So Manu Ginobili just announced his retirement the other day and NBA fans everywhere are crying. Even my sister texted me saying, “Noooooooo. He’s supposed to play until he’s 100 at least,” followed by crying emojis. Question is, do you think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?

Before I talk about his NBA career, I gotta mention his international one. The man led his national team to win the gold medal by beating USA... That still boggles my mind. A team loaded with NBA superstars that we all know and love was taken down by Manu Ginobili and his fresh Argentine team... That is an accomplishment.

The man had a huge role in the San Antonio Spurs success over the past decade and a half. In 1999, Tim Duncan and David Robinson had already won a championship and people knew that the Spurs were a team you had to be careful around. Robinson retired but they added two more superstars in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. They won a championship in 2003, 2005 and then 2007. No matter who you were, you had to be careful when playing against the Spurs. They were easily one of the most dominant teams in the NBA during the 2000s. Just when everyone thought they were getting old and maybe the Spurs weren’t going to be as good as they were, they decided to win another ring… Yep. The Spurs, with the added help of Kawhi Leonard, went to the Finals for two more years and won a ring in 2014, by beating LeBron James. Who would’ve thought. Now after Tim Duncan retired, and Parker and Ginobili taking more limited roles, you’d think they would slow down, but no. Parker and Ginobili, although limited, gave experience to the Spurs and were still a team you needed to be afraid of. I remember growing up and checking the schedule for my favorite team and whenever I saw that they were going to be in San Antonio, I knew immediately that we were probably going to take an L.

Ginobili is honestly such a fun player to watch. Beautiful lefty shot or can drive to the past, Euro step right past you and finish at the rim. Not only his crafty scoring but the dude can pass the ball. He had so many no-lookers and nutmeg passes. He was the player that I loved but absolutely hated when my favorite team played against him. Especially during tight games, you knew he was probably gonna hit the dagger and end the game against you. It was a scary feeling to watch him with the ball going against your team. He also had some lock-down defense and could pick your pocket easily. His numbers have gone down the last few years, but have you seen the intensity that the man plays with? 40 years old and he still balls out. Imagine being a young, new NBA player, full of energy, and then getting stomped on by an old man.

The man really balled up for the Spurs. 2x All-NBA Team, 2x All-Star, and 6th Man of the Year. Now those are some pretty impressive accomplishments to put on your resume. However, if you compare those to other Hall of Famers, is it enough? Looking at stats itself, I would say no, but look about the kind of game that Ginobili played and the impact he had on the Spurs. The man helped that team win 4 championships over a span of 11 years. That is impressive. The last one even more so because of their age. With his accomplishments, plus considering the impact he had on his team, I would say yes. He is deserving of the Hall of Fame. Not only that, but the man deserves his name and number hanging from the rafters in San Antonio. That would be such a cool sight to see; Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, all hanging next to each other. The San Antonio Big Three is officially finished, but their legacy is amazing. Thanks to amazing coaching from Popovich, these three players are gonna go down in history as one of the best teams to ever walk on the court, and I can say with confidence that Ginobili played his heart out.

basketball
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Shandon Pendleton

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