San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili is set to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after a terrific career that saw him do his thing against what everybody told him to do, using his unique style of play to help the Spurs reach important stages in the association. This includes winning four championships and helping the Spurs to become one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
Manu had the chance to compete against big superstars and legends, including Kobe Bryant, whom he had memorable duels with, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and more.
However, it’s fair to say that the most memorable yet shortest duel Manu had in the NBA involved none other than the GOAT, Michael Jordan. A rookie Ginobili made his debut in the 2002/03 NBA season, and only played five seconds against Jordan, who was with the Washington Wizards at the time.
Manu Ginobili Thanks Gregg Popovich For Letting Him Play Against Michael Jordan For 5 Seconds
Ahead of his Hall of Fame induction, Ginobili wrote a lengthy Instagram post to thank all the people that played a role in his career. Big or small, Manu didn’t forget anybody, and his duel with Michael Jordan is the perfect example of that.
The San Antonio Spurs played the Washington Wizards on December 31, 2002, and Manu saw action for a couple of seconds. Still, that was enough for him to fulfill one of his dreams.
Michael Jordan: I only played 5 seconds against him (thank you again Pop!), but it didn’t matter. Such an inspiration! Remember watching the VHS collection and sprinting to the court to try to do some of those things. I used to talk to his life-size poster in my bedroom after games!
That’s the impact that Michael Jordan made in the game. He was a huge idol for many players that we now consider idols. Ginobili only was on the court for those seconds, but they meant the world to him.
Now, 21 years later, Ginobili will emulate Jordan, becoming a Hall of Famer after a memorable career in the association. He was a 4x NBA champion, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Third Team selection and the greatest sixth man in NBA history.
