2x NBA All-Star Manu Ginobili isn’t often mentioned when talking about some of the game’s greatest scorers.
Obviously, he’s no Kobe, Durant, or Iverson. Still, his performance over 16 years with the Spurs helped the Spurs franchise through its greatest and most successful era.
A 4x NBA Champion, he was a master with the ball, consistently showing amazing handles and impeccable shooting stroke. During his prime, he averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 45% shooting. He retired as a legend in 2018 and certainly has a lot to be proud of.
Yet, in a chat with Jeff Garcia, the guard from Argentina recently admitted that he wishes he would have played in today’s era instead. Here’s why:
Now in retirement, he admits he wishes he was playing in today’s high-paced NBA style.
To celebrate the league’s 75th anniversary, he spoke with the NBA about his time in the league and likes what he sees on the court from today’s game.
“If I could choose which era, I’d like to play now,” said Ginobili. “Fast paced. A lot of threes. A lot of possessions.”
“I would have loved to have played in this time and be 28 (years old) now,” he said.
He also talked a bit about some current players, listing the best one-on-one guys and even which youngsters he wishes he could face off against in his prime.
When asked to give his best one-on-one players, his list reads of some of the best to ever play the game.
“Well, I would think offensively, there are three guys, four, that are basically unstoppable one-on-one,” he said. “Michael Jordan is the first one. Kobe [Bryant], KD [Kevin Durant] and Steph [Stephen Curry].”
How about the players he wishes he can face in his prime?
“I would like to play in my prime when I was fast enough… for example Zach [LaVine], even though I played against him, would be a great player to match up against,” he said. “Donovan Mitchell. He’s impressive and impressive set of skills.”
The current NBA is certainly different than what it was during the height of Manu’s career. As he explained, the game is faster now and prioritizes long-distance shooting more than it ever has before.
He would have seriously thrived under these conditions.
Unfortunately, there are no changing things now. And, all things considered, it’s hard to say his NBA career is it turned out could have gone much better.
