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Manu Ginobili's retirement on Monday shook the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs legend is calling it a career after an incredibly successful 16-year run in the NBA.
One of his fiercest rivals took to Twitter to wish him well. Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks had their fair share of grudge matches against Ginobili and the Spurs through the years. But the German big man has the utmost respect for his Argentine counterpart.
Congrats @manuginobili on an amazing career. Great player. Fierce competitor. Winner. Next stop: HOF
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) August 27, 2018
Nowitzki declares Ginobili a Hall of Famer, which may sound strange when looking at Ginobili's career NBA numbers on the very surface. But after a deeper dive, it's clear that Manu is deserving of the honor.
Ginobili is only a two-time All-Star and he never made an All-NBA team higher than the third team — he did that twice. His career numbers of 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game don't necessarily look like Hall of Fame statistics.
But Ginobili's game was always about much more than what he did on paper. He won four championships with the Spurs and was a vital piece on every single one of those championship teams. He was a flat-out winner. Not to mention, Ginobili is one of the most accomplished international players of all time. The only player undoubtedly ahead of Ginobili in that regard is Nowitzki.
Additionally, many people forget that the Hall of Fame is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It is not the NBA Hall of Fame. International success matters, and Ginobili was the linchpin on the 2004 Argentinean National Team that brought home gold at the Olympics. Ginobili's 29 points in the semifinals were enough to knock out Team USA and send them home in disgrace.
When all is said and done, Ginobili's overall body of work is commensurate with the Hall of Fame. Dirk is just pointing it out for anyone who would think otherwise.
