Whether Manu Ginobili misses all basketball fans, so it is for all the blind passes, the dunks from elsewhere, the feints he had given us for two decades. Crazy actions that we have categorized in a non-exhaustive list, to celebrate El Manu’s 46th birthday.
If James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more and more players now use “eurostep” happily, it is thanks to Dwyane Wade and above all Manu Ginobili, who used it for years to conclude his counterattacks. If it were necessary to retain only one gesture in the panoply of “El Manu”, it would perhaps be this one.
In addition to his “eurostep”, the back had another string to his bow to destabilize his opponents: pass the ball behind his back at the time of the double step. Some tested it to amuse the gallery, he had made a lethal weapon of it.
Manu Ginobili’s size does not allow him to conclude his “eurosteps” by crushing the ball in the circle in stride like the “Greek Freak”. But when he took classic support, the Argentinian proved that he could climb on anyone, even Yao Ming. And that he could still place beautiful dunks at 40 years old.
Manu Ginobili is not the biggest, not the strongest, but he offered himself, or offered his teammates, countless easy baskets thanks to his feints. This is, in part, where his genius lies.
The other part of his genius was even more visible when he dropped the ball to find a teammate. In a closed angle, between the legs of an opponent, to pierce a defense, to save a ball, behind the back, behind the head: “El Manu” is a magician of the pass, one of the most inventive in the game. NBA history.
With such a player on the field, there is enough to frustrate the opponent. But even when he was hooked, the Argentinian often managed to put the ball in the circle for “and ones”, thanks to his balance and above all his superb touch. Did you say unstoppable?
Like all great players, Manu Ginobili has this ability to produce all these gestures in hot moments. How many games have Spurs won thanks to his composure…
And then, among the gestures that made Manu Ginobili, there is of course also the capture of a bat.
Article originally published on July 28, 2018
| Manu Ginobili | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2002-03 | SAN | 69 | 21 | 43.8 | 34.5 | 73.7 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 7.6 |
| 2003-04 | SAN | 77 | 29 | 41.8 | 35.9 | 80.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 12.8 |
| 2004-05 | SAN | 74 | 30 | 47.1 | 37.6 | 80.3 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 16.0 |
| 2005-06 | SAN | 65 | 28 | 46.2 | 38.2 | 77.8 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 15.1 |
| 2006-07 | SAN | 75 | 28 | 46.4 | 39.6 | 86.0 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 16.5 |
| 2007-08 | SAN | 74 | 31 | 46.0 | 40.1 | 86.0 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 19.5 |
| 2008-09 | SAN | 44 | 27 | 45.4 | 33.0 | 88.4 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 15.5 |
| 2009-10 | SAN | 75 | 29 | 44.1 | 37.7 | 87.0 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 16.5 |
| 2010-11 | SAN | 80 | 30 | 43.3 | 34.9 | 87.1 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 17.4 |
| 2011-12 | SAN | 34 | 23 | 52.6 | 41.3 | 87.1 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 12.9 |
| 2012-13 | SAN | 60 | 23 | 42.5 | 35.3 | 79.6 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 11.8 |
| 2013-14 | SAN | 68 | 23 | 46.9 | 34.9 | 85.1 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 12.3 |
| 2014-15 | SAN | 70 | 23 | 42.6 | 34.5 | 72.1 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 10.5 |
| 2015-16 | SAN | 58 | 20 | 45.3 | 39.1 | 81.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 9.6 |
| 2016-17 | SAN | 69 | 19 | 39.0 | 39.2 | 80.4 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| 2017-18 | SAN | 65 | 20 | 43.4 | 33.3 | 84.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 8.9 |
| Total | 1057 | 25 | 44.7 | 36.9 | 82.7 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 13.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
