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San Antonio Spurs icon Manu Ginobili is nowhere near as accomplished as his former teammate Tim Duncan or as highly-lauded as David Robinson, but his appeal to a loyal San Antonio hispanic community goes beyond his achievements on the court. Some who have covered the Spurs throughout his 16-year NBA career know the impact he's had and the lasting imprint Ginobili has left before announcing his retirement on Monday.
“It is unfair to say Manu was more popular than David Robinson or Tim Duncan,” former longtime NBA and Spurs writer Mike Monroe told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “But there is no question that the Hispanic community in San Antonio, the largest in the United States, considered Manu one of their own.”
An Argentinian wonder first drafted with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Ginobili wouldn't break into the league until the 2002-03 season after spending three years playing professionally in Italy.
Upon taking the floor, Ginobili's game caught players' and fans' attention, with a vastly different razzle-dazzle full of innovative dribble moves and finishes at the rim from a 6-foot-6 lefty slasher, making it even more awkward to defend.
Even in the state of Texas, heavy in its Mexican community, Ginobili stood out while remaining one of their own.
San Antonio Alamo Community Church worship pastor Caleb Saenz once tweeted, “San Antonio always treat Ginobili like an honorary Mexican.”
Monroe, who wrote for the San Antonio News-Express, has seen kids from Mexico on the Spurs’ practice facility trying to emulate Ginobili and his moves. When the Spurs played in Mexico, no player was more popular than Manu Ginobili, a brethren of their own shining in the bright lights of the biggest basketball league in the world.
“He often addressed the fans in Spanish and embraced the adulation he received in the passionate spirit with which it was conveyed,” Monroe said. “There were murals of Manu, plus Tim and sometimes Tony, painted on the South Side. Kids were getting Manu’s face shaved into their heads. Manu jerseys were all over town.”
Ginobili's passion and bond with the community can be perhaps best summed with his very own words:
“We both appreciate each other, playing with the same jersey, its meaningful for the people and players,” Manu Ginobili said during his last practice in a Spurs uniform, according to RJ Marquez of KSAT News.
Manu's humble career averages of 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game won't stand over Duncan or Robinson's endless accolades throughout their storied careers, but his place in the hearts of Spurs fans is perhaps the biggest trophy a player can hope to own, even after collecting four NBA titles throughout his 16-year journey in silver and black.
