20 Reasons Why San Antonio Will Forever Love and Respect Manu Ginobili

When he scored this beautiful 3-pointer in the 2013 Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors
He got extra cool points based on the fact that he shot the basket and began to run toward the half court oh so smooth. The balance of confidence and humility in that single shot gives us chills to this day.
Photo via YouTube / NBA

When he caught a bat during a game
Halloween 2009 went down in the books as the spookiest Spurs game when Ginobili swatted a bat that invaded the AT&T Center. He needed multiple rounds of rabies shots, but hell he will forever be a badass for this moment. (And recently it’s gotten him a job proposal.)
Photo via YouTube / NBA

That H-E-B commercial when he showed us how wise he is
Pretty much all of Manu’s cameos in the H-E-B commercials are iconic, but one particular skit comes to mind when you think of the two. The all-knowing Ginobili has had us cracking up for years.
Photo via Instagram / heb

The fact that he made his ever-growing bald spot totally acceptable
He made the his legendary bald spot fashionable by completely owning it. He has that much finesse!
Photo via Reddit / celticfanboy20

When he savagely blocked James Harden’s shot during Game 5 of the 2017 Western Conference semifinals
If people didn’t consider Manu The GOAT before, they did after this iconic moment.
Photo via Twitter / YourManDevine

The fact that his Euro step changed the NBA
Flirting with being a traveling violation, the Euro step makes a huge difference on the offensive. After spending a few years playing in Europe, Ginobili brought his skills and the move to the NBA. His signature move changed the way basketball is played in the U.S. and has led to other players adopting it as well.
Photo via Instagram / patar35

The fact that people traveled from all around the world just to see him play
Sure, people travel to see the Spurs, but Ginobili has always had his own dedicated fan club. Most of his supporters came from various parts of Asia and his homeland of Argentina.
Photo via Instagram / spurs

The time he took one in the nads for the Spurs
During a game against the New Orleans Pelicans back in February 2016, Ginobili tried to draw a charge from Ryan Anderson – and ended up taking a new to his manhood. He ended up needing testicular surgery that cost him a month off the court and one of his prized possessions.
Photo via Instagram / spurs

Every time he showed us his goofy sense of humor
H-E-B commercials, on the sidelines, in interviews, on social media – it didn’t matter where, but Manu has always been a jokester. While Duncan has always been regarded as the quiet one, Ginobili brought life to the team with his vibrant personality.
Photo via Giphy / spurs

When he dunked on Chris Bosh during the 2014 Finals against the Miami Heat
A year after the devastating loss to the Heat in the Finals, Manu got a bit of revenge of his own. In the final minutes of the first half of Game 5, Ginobili wowed us all with a driving dunk. Even Danny Green said in an interview that the team was impressed that Ginobili still had “it” being 36 at the time.
Photo via YouTube / NBA

How his passes could never be topped – only by him
Most of his passes were legendary, especially his fake passes.
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When he meant to pass to LaMarcus Aldridge and ended up scoring
Earlier this year, Ginobili passed the ball to Aldridge and the basketball magically went into the basket. Nobody could believe it at first, and the play needed to be reviewed twice. It ended up being worth three points and a source of comic relief for Popovich and the team.
Photo via YouTube / CliveNBAParody

When his shoe exploded during a game
During a February 2014 game against the Detroit Pistons, Ginobili was playing defense and backing up on the court when his foot slipped and shot through his shoe. How this happened, we don’t know. But we’re still amazed that he waited until the end of the play to walk off the court to get a new pair.
Photo via YouTube / NBA

When he dunked on the massive Yao Ming
Keep in mind that Yao Ming is like, 7-and-a-half feet tall – a full foot taller than Ginobili! Badass.
Photo via YouTube / WarningWizard

The fact that he had the amazing career he did despite being a late second round pick in the NBA draft
Back in 1999 Ginobili was the 57th pick in the NBA draft, meaning he was in the second round. Some players selected in the second round don’t even get signed to a rookie deal, so the fact that Ginobili was able to sign with the Spurs and become a legend is extremely rare.
Photo via Twitter / All Sport News

When he pranked Tim Duncan with a water cup
The gif of this silly moment gives us life.
Photo via Giphy / thegameswelove

When he totally owned Team USA in the 2004 Olympics
The same year that Argentina had an impressive win over Serbia and Montenegro, Ginobili helped lead Argentina to new heights. Of course, he a lot on his own. Not only did Ginobili completely own Spurs teammate Tim Duncan, but also Team USA players LeBron James, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Murray to secure an impressive standing.
Photo via Instagram / wisnufan

When he joked about not being on his son’s list of favorite basketball players
Earlier this year, Ginobili revealed that his son Luca shared a list of his NBA players. Danny Green, Vince Carter, Michael Jordan, Bryn Forbes, LaMarcus Aldridge and – finally – Manu Ginobili. Being the jokester he is, Ginobili got a kick out of it and shared the savage list on Twitter.
Photo via Instagram / manuginobili

The game against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 48 points (his career high)
Back in his prime, Ginobili was a literal beast. The team was pretty down scoring-wise but Ginobili, as always, came through and gave it his all. Afterward, he said, “I’ve never had a game like this.” That was in January 2005, the same season he was named an All-Star
Photo via YouTube / KarlMalowned32

When he secured Argentina’s win against Serbia in the 2004 Olympics
The wonky shot that paid off – that’s the play we’re talking about. This shot is ingrained into every basketball fan’s mind, and literally changed the fate of the Argentinean team.
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