In a funny and emotional Hall of Fame speech, San Antonio Spurs icon Manu Ginobili made sure to recognize two people who had a major impact on his career: Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich.

Ginobili chose Duncan to be his Hall of Fame presenter for his induction on Saturday, saying previously that he “owed” it to him. After all, without TD, he knows he wouldn't even be able in the HOF conversation.

He opted not to go too emotional when it comes to Duncan, though, as Ginobili instead chose to clown his good friend and former teammate with an old joke about him.

You got to love the relationship between Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan for sure. They spent the majority of their careers together, so it isn't really surprising that they share a unique bond.

It's different when Ginobili talked about Popovich, however. The Argentine icon almost got teary eyed as he sent his heartfelt “Thank you” to Coach Pop, who made it possible for him to thrive in the NBA. Manu also shared how Popovich helped him and his family not only on the court, but also off it.+

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Reed Sheppard, Nikola Topic, and Dalton Knecht with a Spurs logo in front and a 2024 NBA Draft background.

Shervon Fakhimi ·

agaduan, Associate Editor Image: Spurs' Victor Wembanyama looking at Trae Young in a Spurs uni, with the cross mark over Young

Jedd Pagaduan ·

Victor Wembanyama (maybe something that indicates pride), San Antonio Spurs logo

Hector Ledesma ·

Ginobili is truly a unique Hall of Famer. He may not have the eye popping numbers like the others, but his impact to winning is just hard to ignore. He won four titles with the Spurs during his 16-year career with the franchise, becoming a two-time All-Star and a Sixth Man of the Year winner in the process.

Both Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich certainly played a huge role in Ginobili's success, though credit should be given to the man himself for the work he put in and for helping revolutionize the game.