The San Antonio Spurs will honor Manu Ginobili in an endearing jersey retirement ceremony on Thursday. The who's who of the organization will be in attendance for the momentous occasion, and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had some wonderful words to say about the retired Argentinian in advance of the event.
Known for being a man of a few words, Popovich stayed true to form in his praise for Ginobili, pointing out that it was the 6-foot-6 shooting guard's no-fear attitude that made him such a special player. It was this attitude that caught the Spurs' attention when they were first scouting him over in Europe.
Via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News:
Twenty years later, Popovich cannot remember the particulars of the first time he saw Manu Ginobili on film, in the lead-up to the 1999 NBA draft.
What Popovich can recall, with vivid clarity, is what impressed him most about the “skinny little dude” running amok in the Italian League.
“His fearlessness just stood out,” Popovich said.
Popovich's statement certainly holds a lot of meaning. Ginobili may not have been the biggest or the strongest player, but his fearlessness on the court allowed him to tower over his opponents, and it's a big reason why they drafted him 57th overall in 1999.
Coach Pop knows Ginobili extremely well, as he had the privilege of coaching the former two-time All-Star throughout his 16-year career with the Spurs. These two — together with the likes of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker — went on numerous historic runs, highlighted by no less than four NBA titles.
It is without question that Ginobili deserves every bit of praise thrown towards his direction, as he certainly leaves the organization as truly one of the greats. With his No. 20 jersey set to hang in the rafters together with other Spurs legends, Ginobili will forever be remembered in the hearts and minds of the San Antonio faithful.
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