- Manu Ginobili was an integral part of the Spurs dynasty
- Ginobili accepted a role off the bench for the greater good
- Spurs head coach Popovich says none of his current players should have a problem if he didn’t
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hasn’t had any discussions on starting lineups just yet with his players, but he doesn’t expect anyone to have a problem if they are coming off the bench. Why so you may ask? Well, Manu Ginobili did it without complaints, that’s why.
“I’ve had no such discussions with anyone, but if Manu Ginobili can come off the bench, anybody can and I don’t wanna hear it.”
When asked by @mikefinger about the starting lineup conversation, Pop replied: “I’ve had no such discussions with anyone, but if Manu Ginobili can come off the bench, anybody can and I don’t wanna hear it.”
— Matthew Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) October 2, 2023
With Victor Wembanyama now entering the mix, one of the starters from last season is almost certainly going to have to make way. Of those who featured heavily last season, when healthy, the Spurs still have Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Zach Collins.
Wembanyama is expected to play at power forward for San Antonio, so logically it would be Sochan heading to the bench, but you never know. If it is indeed him, then the young Frenchman should just take inspiration from Ginobili.
Manu Ginobili Enjoyed Tremendous Success As A Sixth Man
Ginobili started off his Spurs career in 2002 by coming off the bench, but it didn’t take him too long to show just how valuable he can be. In the 2004-05 season, he became the full-time starter and was named an All-Star for the first time as well.
During the second half of the 2006-07 season, though, the Spurs wanted Ginobili to come off the bench and give the second unit some life. Most players who had just become an All-Star would have scoffed at the idea, but not the Argentine.
He became their spark plug off the bench and helped the Spurs win the championship in 2007. Ginobili could have been a starter on a lot of NBA teams and could have really become a star, but he chose to sacrifice for the greater good. He realized that his coming off the bench would help the Spurs win, and it sure did, at a ridiculous rate.
Among those who played at least 1,000 games, Ginobili is the winningest player in NBA history, with a 72.1% win percentage. He won four championships along the way and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2022. So, the idea here is to not look at it as a demotion but as a different kind of opportunity to shine.
Magic Johnson Had Some Big Praise For Manu Ginobili
Ginobili’s willingness to come off the bench certainly didn’t lead to the greats of the game seeing him in a lesser light. On his induction into the Hall of Fame last year, Magic Johnson called Ginobili one of the most unstoppable players to ever play in the NBA.
Magic has seen some truly special players over the years, and for him to say that about Ginobili shows how great the Argentine was on the court. Ginobili would end up playing 16 seasons for the Spurs, during which he averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
He was a two-time All-Star and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2008 as well. Lou Williams picked Ginobili as one of the players that the Sixth Man of the Year award should be named after, with the other two being himself or Jamal Crawford, and all three would be quite deserving.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
