The wave of praise from NBA players in the wake of Manu Ginobili's retirement has been overwhelming, but one of the biggest signs of absolute adoration came from outside the basketball world, as fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi had words of adulation of the highest caliber.
“Thank you Manu Ginobili, for making us enjoy basketball so much. It's not going to be the same without you on the court, all the luck in the world for your new chapter,” Messi said over a Facebook message, according to Marca.
The two compatriots met each other for the first time during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and have been fond of each other even before then.
Argentinian journalist Julian Mozo put together a Ginobili biography in 2013, “The Lord of Talents,” one which Messi wrote the prologue for.
“I know that several NBA players wear the No. 10 shirt in my honour and that is something very special, as well as hearing praise from superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant,” Messi said back then. “But none of them struck me as much as Manu's, when he came out to support me after the 2011 Copa America in Argentina.”
Messi had just lost to Uruguay at the Copa's quarterfinals (which Argentina hosted), going out after a deflating loss in a penalty shootout, which brought down the hopes of the local crowd. The criticism was never more abundant for Messi, as he was expected to come away with the Copa hardware in home soil.
“That someone like him, a sportsman of his level and commitment, has supported me in that way means a lot,” Messi said of Ginobili.
“It makes me very proud to hear a journalist say that Manu is the Messi of basketball, in fact they should say that I am the Manu of football,” Messi wrote, when describing the retired shooting guard.
Ginobili won't be in the discussion for the title of G.O.A.T., but to hear a footballer who is part of that very conversation speaks volumes of his profound impact, which obviously transcended more than just his sport, but nations altogether.
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