J-Speaks: Spurs Raise No. 20 to the Rafters

When it comes to answering the question to whom is the greatest San Antonio Spur? The answer in any order is Hall of Famers George Gervin followed and David Robinson, and future First Ballot Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. When it comes to the most beloved Spur is Emanuel David Ginobili, whose flamboyant, intense, and passionate style of play and Argentinian roots earned him the respect, love, and appreciation from those in the San Antonio, TX community and were a huge part in the Spurs winning four of their five titles. On Friday night, he received the highest honor a basketball player could ever receive other than being named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

At intermission of the Spurs 116-110 win versus the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, Ginobili had his No. 20 jersey raised to the rafter of the AT&T Center becoming the ninth Spur all time to have that honor, joining Gervin (No. 44), Robinson (No. 50), Duncan (No. 21), Avery Johnson (No. 6), Bruce Bowen (No. 12), James Silas (No. 13), Sean Elliott (No. 32) and Johnny Moore (No. 00).  

Not too shabby for someone who grew up on the other side of the Earth, who loved the NBA but never dreamed he would be good enough to play in the best league in the world let alone be one of the best to do it. 

Not only was the No. 57 pick in the 1999 draft one of the very best in the NBA he became one of the best basketball players in the world. 

“When we drafted him, we certainly didn’t know he was going to become Manu,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “So, when he came, he had a bad ankle. So, he had to sit for a bit and I can still remember during that period Timmy wondering, ‘Is this guy as good as you keep saying Pop-Is this guy really, you know, whatever-He doesn’t look like it to me?’” 

“So, once he started up again like in January I believe, it became apparent right away and what when Timmy Duncan’s eyebrows raise in amazement you know it’s something.”

Along with helping the Spurs win as mentioned at the start four of their five Larry O’Brien trophies, he along with former New York Knick great and former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley (D-NY) to win a EuroLeague championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. 

He also made his mark in the Spurs records books as he ended up as their all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,495), 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 (14,013), while being named All-NBA Third Team twice (2008 and 2011); being named an All-Star twice (2005, 2011) and winning Kia Sixth Man of the Year (2008). 

Ginobili’s .721 winning percentage in his 16-year (762-295) is the best in NBA history amongst players that have appeared in at least 1,000 games. 

“It was not even a second thought,” Ginobili said in a video tribute during the ceremony. “Not one Argentinian in history had made it to the NBA. So why was it going to be me? There was no way me or anyone that was near me could ever envision a career like this.” 

“The game gave me so much, I am in debt forever.” 

Ginobili, whose wife and fellow Argentine Marianela Orono and their three children in twins Dante and Nicola, and Luca in a matter of years made his presence felt and had not only a great career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the international stage. 

 “He was unlike any other basketball player we had ever seen,” Elliott, his former teammate said during the jersey retirement ceremony. “He was a magician who stole your breath away.” 

He literally did that very often in the early part of his career in the mind of head coach Gregg Popovich, who said jokingly before the game that, “I never cursed before I met him,” in reference to the behind-the-back passes and seemingly out-of-control drives to nowhere in specific that very often inspired moments of rage and ire. 

Eventually that ire would turn to respect, appreciation, and pride because those chances he took not only won the Spurs games in the regular season and when it mattered most the postseason. 

“As I went, I became a better coach because I learned to zip it now and then cause you watched him play and he would make a steal to win a game,” Coach Popovich said of Ginobili’s greatness, “or get an offensive rebound, or shoot a three that was totally contested-the worst shot in the world, and it would go in. Because he’s a winner.” 

“The way the team was set up we all needed each other and without Manu there were no championships. There were no championships. It was not going to happen without Manu.” 

Ginobili felt the same way about Coach Popovich saying during the ceremony that that he was a “sensitive, generous, caring, smart madman,” which brought a smirk to his face, adding, “You are a crazy person, but you mean so much to me that you would not even know.” 

As great of a player as he was with his skills that he displayed on the floor it was his drive, unwavering confidence, focus and determination that made him as important of a player to the Spurs success as Duncan, and Parker were. 

The best example of this was in the summer of 2001, two years after Ginobili was drafted he showed up for a pickup game and how he was putting in work on the court, which got under the skin of Bowen.

Duncan who told this story during the ceremony said that Bowen used every trick in the book that made him one of the best perimeter defenders to ever play in the NBA, while also grabbing, holding, and pushing Ginobili at times. 

“Manu didn’t bat an eye. He didn’t change his game. He didn’t cry about it. He just went straight ahead, kept on playing and that’s when I knew we had somebody,” Duncan a two-time Kia MVP said.

“It was all genius. It was all genius. You saw things before anybody else did. You did things nobody else would. You are unbelievable and congratulations.” 

Along with that great genius that Ginobili displayed was a player who was as humble and willing to do whatever it took to help the team win. 

The best form of humility and sacrifice Ginobili made to the Spurs cause was accepting the role of coming off the bench for many of his 16 seasons. 

As we have seen in recent years many players that possess Ginobili’s skills rolled their eyes or simply saw that kind of sacrifice as a shot to their ego. 

It did not matter to the future Hall of Famer. All he wanted was to be in the game when it mattered most and he was whether he started or came off the bench and his example of leadership set the tone for what was expected from the entire team and they rolled with that tone from the coaching staff to the players and that resulted in consecutive playoff appearances, which has reached 22 straight seasons, tying them with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers for the most consecutive postseason appearances in a row. 

“There not a lot of superstars, maybe no superstars that can except that and he was so humble. So humble that it was an inspiration to all of us and to me he’s the definition of Spurs basketball because he always put his ego last,” former Spurs All-Star lead guard, no with the Charlotte Hornets Tony Parker said. 

“So, to finish in my book, you’re a legend, NBA champion, EuroLeague, gold medal. So, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for inspiring me and it was an honor to play with you.”   

Ginobili above all as a Spur really cared about every teammate, to the point that he would during timeouts talk to the 12^th man on the team. Communicating with a teammate who made an error on the floor. Pumping someone else’s spirit up and giving everybody a feeling as Coach Popovich said once, “you never, ever give in.” 

“So, there’s always something that he’s doing to help the situation be successful. On and off the floor, he was so personable. He loved people and his passion for the game was exemplary. So, the memories are wonderful but will never be matched.”

For 16 NBA seasons Emanuel David Ginobili was a unique player in the National Basketball Association, who carved out one of the best basketball careers one can ever imagine. On the floor he played with a spirit and joy that was key part in the San Antonio Spurs winning titles. He had a humility that set a standard that the only thing that mattered was giving of one’s self to better the team’s chances of winning on the floor as well as off of it. 

Ginobili created a legacy with alongside fellow future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and head coach Gregg Popovich that will endure for generations to come in Spurs history and the fans that cheered him on for all of his 16 seasons and the Spurs organization got a chance to say “Gracias Manu” to him in the most amazing way possible being the ninth Spur ever to have his jersey raised to the rafters of the AT&T Center on Thursday night. 

“I tweeted a few months ago when I announced my retirement that it has been an amazing journey,” Ginobili said when he spoke to the audience at AT&T Center, “way beyond my wildest dreams-telling you completely true.” 

“Thank you all, seriously, all here and all watching for being with me all along. Really appreciate it. I love you. “  

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/28/19 www.nba.com story, “Looking Back on Ginobili’s Basketball Legacy;” 3/29/19 1:30 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Jared Greenberg, Dennis Scott, and Mike Fratello; 3/29/19 www.nba.com “About Last Night: Gracias, Manu” column by Dan McCarney; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Ginobili#Family_and_personal_life; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurs#Retired_numbers.