When people talk about the history of the San Antonio Spurs, the man who gets the most attention is Tim Duncan.
It’s no doubt why, as he is generally considered to be one of the 10 greatest players in NBA history and was incredibly consistent on both ends of the floor.
But he won his five NBA championships with the help of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and sometimes it seems as if Ginobili is a bit underrated.
The Argentina native actually leads the league in several postseason categories since 1982 among all bench players, via StatMuse.
Most __ off the bench in the playoffs (since 1982):
PTS — Manu Ginobili
REB — Manu Ginobili
AST — Manu Ginobili
STL — Manu Ginobili
BLK — John Salley
FGM — Manu Ginobili
3PM — Manu Ginobili
FTM — Manu GinobiliElite 6th man. pic.twitter.com/auVPbT8tIc
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 15, 2023
Ginobili was a second-round draft pick in 1999, but he didn’t make his Spurs debut until the 2002-03 season.
That year, he injected some much-needed pace and velocity into San Antonio’s attack, and with his help, they won the world title for the second time.
Ginobili made two All-Star teams in his career, and he played on four of the Spurs’ five championship teams.
He fearlessly attacked the basket on a consistent basis, and he also became a good 3-point shooter.
Ginobili also flashed his playmaking skills every now and then by averaging 3.8 assists per game for his career.
His international resume is also strong, as he led his native Argentina to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic games in Athens after it knocked out the United States in the semifinals.
For all his accomplishments, the 6-foot-6 guard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year, and Spurs fans will never forget his contributions to their favorite team over the years.
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