Open Thread: Manu Ginobili on making the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Like all of us, Manu Ginobili probably knew he’d making the basketball Hall of Fame someday, but he probably didn’t know it would come so quickly as a first balloter. He allowed the Spurs to film him when he received the call, and then briefly went over how the NBA wasn’t even in his purview early, and to go from not even thinking about it to being a Hall of Famer is beyond his wildest dreams.

The yesterday came his official press conference to discuss making the Hall of Fame. He showed his love for the city of San Antonio (despite it being so hot, as he quickly learned when he got here in the summer of 2002) and going from having to look it up on a map when he was drafted to both he and his family wanting to stay after he retired. He humorously remembered how Steve Kerr was the first to point how his Euro step, how he’d never seen anything like it before, and he told Manu it made him look like a squirrel.

There were the highs of winning championships and gold medals, the lows of losing, trying to adapt to Gregg Popovich’s system while wondering if he was cut out for the NBA, and everything in between.

And of course, here are some Spurs congratulating him at practice on Friday.

It’s been great having Manu around the organization this year, and players like Lonnie Walker have been very vocal about how much he has helped them. Even though he readily admitted in his press conference that he’s happy in his semi-retirement and with a job that still allows him the freedom to be with his family and travel at his own pleasure, here’s to hoping he stays with the organization in some capacity for many years to come.

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