NBA
Manu Ginobili Was 1 of the Greatest NBA 6th Men
As 4x NBA Champion, 2x All-Star & the 2008 6th Man of the Year, Manu Ginobili should be considered one of the greatest 6th men in NBA history
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Originally selected by the Spurs with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Manu Ginobili would become a major part of an incredible dynasty led by himself, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and HC Gregg Popovich. Although Ginobili was drafted in 1999, he continued to play in Italy and didn’t make his Spurs debut until 2002 where he played a backup role to Steve Smith. Even as a rookie, Manu became an integral part of Pop’s playoff lineup and played 28.5 MPG to secure the Spurs second NBA championship to end his rookie season.
The 2004-05 season saw Ginobili become an All-Star and once again put up big numbers in the playoffs on his way to his second NBA Championship. Manu had an incredible 2007-08 season coming off the bench averaging nearly 20 PPG, which earned him the Sixth Man of the Year award. Ginobili played his entire 16-year career in San Antonio where he won four championships and became one of the greatest sixth men to ever play the role.
Manu Ginobili's future HOF resume:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 28, 2021
- 2x All Star
- 2x All-NBA 3rd Team
- 4x NBA Champion
- 2008 6th Man of the Year
- 2003 All-Rookie 2nd Team
- #20 retired by #Spurs
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MANU GINOBILI WAS 1 OF THE GREATEST 6TH MEN IN NBA HISTORY
As a 4x NBA champion and 2x All-Star, Manu Ginobili has the credentials to be a Hall of Famer but what separated him was his role as sixth man. In all but three of his Spurs seasons, he was coming off the bench. In two of those three seasons, he started all or nearly all the games and was an All-Star. This shows that when he started, he was an All-star caliber player, but sacrificed individual numbers and accolades for the betterment of the team. It all proved to be worth it as Ginobili won four NBA Championships.
Sixth man greats Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams both have three Sixth Man of the Year awards to Manu’s one, but neither of them have any All-Star selections or Championships. Manu knew his role on the team and played it perfectly, even in the playoffs where he would average 30.4 MPG and 14 PPG on 35.0% 3P during his five NBA finals appearances. It is because of Manu’s ability to step up when it matters most and All-Star recognition that will help him be remembered as one of the greatest 6th men to ever play the game.
Manu Ginobili's future HOF resume:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 28, 2021
- 2x All Star
- 2x All-NBA 3rd Team
- 4x NBA Champion
- 2008 6th Man of the Year
- 2003 All-Rookie 2nd Team
- #20 retired by #Spurs
pic.twitter.com/8XcjQ2ZsjQ
Manu Ginobili's ranks in #Spurs history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 28, 2021
- 1st in career 3PM (1,495) & STL (1,392)
- 3rd in career GP (1,057)
- 4th in career AST (4,001) & FTM (3,380)
- 4th in season FT% (.884)
- 5th in career PTS (14,043), FGM (4,584), REB (3,697), & MIN (26,859)
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