If Manu Ginobili misses all basketball fans, so it is for all the blind passes, the dunks from elsewhere, the feints that he had inundated us with for two decades. Crazy actions that we have categorized in a non-exhaustive list, to celebrate the 46 years of El Manu.
If James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more and more players are now happily using the “eurostep”, it is thanks to Dwyane Wade and especially Manu Ginobili, who used it for years to conclude his counterattacks. If we had to remember just one move from the panoply of “El Manu”, it would perhaps be this one.
In addition to his “eurostat”, the full-back had another string to his bow to destabilize his opponents: passing the ball behind his back at the moment of the double step. Some tested it to amuse the gallery, he had made it a lethal weapon.
Manu Ginobili's height doesn't allow him to finish his “eurostats” by crushing the ball in the circle in stride like the “Greek Freak”. But when he took classic supports, the Argentinian proved that he could climb on anyone, even Yao Ming. And that he could still place beautiful dunks at 40 years old.
Manu Ginobili is not the biggest, not the strongest, but he has given himself, or his teammates, countless easy baskets thanks to his fakes. That, in part, is where his genius lies.
The other part of his genius was even more visible when he released the ball to find a teammate. In a tight angle, between the legs of an opponent, to pierce a defense, to save a ball, in the back, behind the head: “El Manu” is a magician of the pass, one of the most inventive in the history of the NBA.
With such a player on the pitch, there is enough to frustrate the opponent. But even when he was held back, the Argentinian often managed to put the ball in the circle for “and ones”, thanks to his balance and especially his superb touch. Did you say unstoppable?
Like all great players, Manu Ginobili has this ability to produce all these gestures in hot moments. How many games have the Spurs won thanks to his composure…
And then, among the gestures that Manu Ginobili made, there is of course also the capture of a bat.
Article originally published on July 28, 2018
| Manu Ginobili | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2002-03 | SAN | 69 | 21 | 43.8 | 34.5 | 73.7 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 7.6 |
| 2003-04 | SAN | 77 | 29 | 41.8 | 35.9 | 80.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 12.8 |
| 2004-05 | SAN | 74 | 30 | 47.1 | 37.6 | 80.3 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 16.0 |
| 2005-06 | SAN | 65 | 28 | 46.2 | 38.2 | 77.8 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 15.1 |
| 2006-07 | SAN | 75 | 28 | 46.4 | 39.6 | 86.0 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 16.5 |
| 2007-08 | SAN | 74 | 31 | 46.0 | 40.1 | 86.0 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 19.5 |
| 2008-09 | SAN | 44 | 27 | 45.4 | 33.0 | 88.4 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 15.5 |
| 2009-10 | SAN | 75 | 29 | 44.1 | 37.7 | 87.0 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 16.5 |
| 2010-11 | SAN | 80 | 30 | 43.3 | 34.9 | 87.1 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 17.4 |
| 2011-12 | SAN | 34 | 23 | 52.6 | 41.3 | 87.1 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 12.9 |
| 2012-13 | SAN | 60 | 23 | 42.5 | 35.3 | 79.6 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 11.8 |
| 2013-14 | SAN | 68 | 23 | 46.9 | 34.9 | 85.1 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 12.3 |
| 2014-15 | SAN | 70 | 23 | 42.6 | 34.5 | 72.1 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 10.5 |
| 2015-16 | SAN | 58 | 20 | 45.3 | 39.1 | 81.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 9.6 |
| 2016-17 | SAN | 69 | 19 | 39.0 | 39.2 | 80.4 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| 2017-18 | SAN | 65 | 20 | 43.4 | 33.3 | 84.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 8.9 |
| Total | 1057 | 25 | 44.7 | 36.9 | 82.7 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 13.3 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
