More than a week after his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame, the same story continues to leave Manu Ginóbili at the top of the sport. It is that he is not only one of the best for his incredible career, but also for having achieved admiring even his own rivals.

As one of them admits: CJ McCollum, the New Orleans Pelicans figure who dedicated himself to the Portland Trail Blazers until he was transferred this year. The escort who knows how to be the ideal partner of Damian Lillard revealed to be surprised at the Argentine’s game when he just landed in the NBA and pointed it out as the player who tortured him greatly while making his first steps in the big leagues: “He was the first kicked my ass in a game, ”he said.

angIt was in the interview cycle of ‘The Players Tribune’ podcast, led by former players Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, where McCollum recalls his start in 2014 and recalls the first meeting where he faced Ginóbili , four -time champion with the San Antonio Spurs.

The first question is what gave rise to the anecdote that marked the American basketball player. “Who was the first rival to kick your butt?”, The drivers asked him.

Almost without hesitation he replied: “Ginóbili”, he insisted. He then also put Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams on his podium. But The Argentine was willing to provide details.

“They saw him playing during his time … much discussed. First of all, he spoke in another language all the time and one could not speak. I remember that he asks for a play which he calls a flat angle at the end of the fourth ”, he said about the game, mentioning his difficulty understand his Spanish.

He remembers it at every point: “Then he dribbled in the middle of the field turned away from me which I thought was disrespectful -he said between laughs- turning his back on me. Then he turned and approached me at full speed, giving me a Eurostep and tray. Next play, Euro layup, and foul. One gave a step and a triple. I scored seven, nine. almost dten points in a row to me”, He detailed.

Finally, he stressed his frustration at not being able to nearly advance the ball because of almost everyone his attempts were blocked by Ginóbili and they didn’t make any play.

“Parang a ‘wow, i can’t play’. I actually ended up walking out of the fight. The coach wanted to tell me something and I replied: ‘He does this to everyone, what do you want me to do?‘”, he concludes, showing that the admiration for his game is greater than the inability to not show off against him.

Manu Ginóbili and his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame

Four NBA championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs and two Olympic medals with the Argentine National Team, a gold in the Athens 2004 and a brass Beijing 2008, in addition to an impeccable professional career, was not enough for Emanuel Ginóbili. With all these achievements, and four years after his retirement, Manu added a new and historic recognition: the confirmation of his admission to the Hall of Fame of the strongest basketball league in the world.

The Bahiense relativized this difference, clearly historical for Argentine sports. He said it was “reluctant to individual awards” and somewhat “anecdotal” because he had definitively removed the player suit.

However, he admitted the weekend of September 9 and 10when his name and surname are stamped on the great names in basketball history at the prestigious Naismith Memorial, in Springfield, Massachusetts, he will surely “finish the chip.”

DS