Manu Ginóbili entered the NBA Hall of Fame and made his legend even greater

The huge Manu Ginobili, winner of four championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs and Olympic gold with Argentina at the 2004 Athens Games, was formally inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. The Bahiense took the stage with his former partner and friend Tim Duncan, who handled his formal presentation at the ceremony.

The former escort was the most outstanding “entrance” of the evening, since it was presented at the end of the gala. And despite having already thanked all those who have been part of his career on his social media, he has once again acknowledged the support of his former teammates and his family for his success. “Thank you very much. This is incredible. Watch those videos. It was a long journey”, were the first words of the Argentine.

Like when he played, Manu put the collective before the individual: “For players like me, individual results are not important. I’m not here because it was me, but because of the team’s successes ”.

“I want to talk about teams that have not been successful and that were essential to be here,” he added.

“I started at the age of six playing for Bahiense del Norte. A block from my house was the club. My father was a leader. He has been playing all day. He shot and dribbled six to seven hours a day. It was a great place to develop my love of the game and my qualities as well. I played there until I was 18 and turned pro. Huevo Sánchez took me to Andino de La Rioja. Then I went to Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca and I was able to play with my brother Sepo, ”recalls Manu.

And then he reviewed his stage with the Golden Generation and his arrival in San Antonio: “My experience in the Argentine national team with Julio Lamas. My gradual growth has had to do with my arrival in the national team. Then came my Italian stop in Reggio Calabria. They trusted me. I have had excellent leaders. Then I went to Kinder Bologna and there I started to realize what for me was an unattainable dream. The Italian experience has been very valuable to me. It’s not just about how I’ve grown as a player, but as a person. In those years I was in a tournament with the national team and I received a phone call telling me that I had been enlisted and I couldn’t believe it. I had no expectations. Spurs for me was a family where I spent 16 years with the same coach, the same colors, the same city. That’s why I have many people to thank. “

“I can never thank you enough,” he said of his former coach Gregg Popovich.

“One of the best players in history. I learned a lot from you. How to be an example in court, ”he condemned about Tim Duncan. And he also dedicated a few words to former baseman Tony Parker: “We never let our egos keep us away. We knew when my time was and when yours.

And the three present in the club, speaking of Popovich, Duncan and Parker, added: “With these three guys we have won many titles. It takes a lot of parts to win the championships and we’ve had a lot. Share the equipment with you. Winning and losing all together was fantastic ”.

Then it was her turn to speak Spanish to thank her family. Manu spoke of his brothers, Sebastián and Leandro: “Sepo and Lea, thank you for being my inspiration and for pushing me”. Then he broke up for a few moments when he dedicated a few words to Jorge, his father, who did not travel due to a health problem: “Dad, how I wish you were here to see what’s happening today. My first faithful and greatest follower, I miss you so old. Thank you”.

He also thanked his mother Raquel and dedicated his last words to his wife Mani and their three children: “If I have to choose a moment to stop time, that’s all the time we’ve traveled together and the things we’ve done. Thanks for everything. I love who we are and I love who you are. “

Ginóbili is the first Argentine to see his name imprinted in the prestigious Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of one of the most popular sports in the world, and the third Latin American player, the other two being the Brazilian Oscars Schmidt and Ubiratan Pereira. It is worth mentioning that Manu entered the NBA almost through the window when he was chosen in the 1999 Draft in 57th place in the second round and changed history.