Despite yet another sweep of a series, this time coming against the San Antonio Spurs, there's no loss of respect for Manu Ginobili and his illustrious career as an NBA player and international star of the game.
Golden State Warriors forward went as far as to give him the best possible type of praise in this profession.
“First-ballot Hall of Famer, for sure. Hopefully we'll see more of him,” Green told ASAP Sports. “I enjoy watching him play. Still one of the toughest guys. Anytime someone asks me like: Who is the toughest guys you ever guard in the league? He's one of the ones, always, in my answer.”
Ginobili started his career as a fireball in sneakers, a wild, unorthodox, yet incredibly creative shooting guard, which proved a challenge for Gregg Popovich to coach.
As he progressed through the year, Ginobili became an X-factor of sorts, a secret weapon off the bench that could light up the opposition with his dynamic play, which had been slightly tamed and buffered into a team-oriented approach that benefitted the Spurs year after year.
The 39-year-old is believed to be in his last hurrah, but showed a nostalgic version of himself, having three of his best games of the postseason in the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, posting 17 and 21 points in Games 1 and 3, respectively.
Ginobili started in Game 4 as a way for coach Pop to pay him his due tribute — and he didn't disappoint — leading the Spurs' starters with 15 points, seven assists, and three steals.
“He kind of worked us pretty good these four games, so I think he's got quite a bit left in the tank,” Green said. “Obviously, it's up to him how much longer he wants to go. But one thing about it, he's definitely not a liability on the floor. He can still defend. He can still score buckets with the best of them. So I think it's pretty much up to him and how he's feeling personally.”
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