Manu Ginóbili is the only player drafted in 1999 to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Spurs legend has to be one of the lowest draft picks to be honored in Springfield
Making it into the Naismith Hall of Fame is one of the highest forms of honor for an NBA player. Per the rules, a player must wait until four years after retirement to be eligible for induction. As I was researching various draft classes, I found an interesting factoid.
Manu Ginobili is the only member of the 1999 NBA Draft class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Other members of his draft class included the 2000 Co-Rookies of the Year Elton Brand and Steve Francis as well as All-Stars Baron Davis, Wally Szczerbiak, Richard Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest and Andrei Kirlenko.
Ginobili was drafted 57th. Of the fifty-eight draftees, twelve never even stepped onto the hardwood for an NBA team.
By comparison, the 1998 NBA Draft class has three Hall of Fame members. Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce were all drafted in the top ten,
Just a reminder that Manu was a hidden gem who shined most when given the full clearance to be himself. He was a unique talent and his spirit lifted the team. The only NBA team for which he suited up was the San Antonio Spurs. We were fortunate to draft him and that felt at a home in San Antonio, chasing to stay even after retirement.
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