5 times Manu Ginobili made us believe in miracles
Manu Ginobili may have played his last game on Monday. If this is indeed the end, we can look back and relish the good times that we had watching him play.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”
~Dr Suess
Often time we take life for granted, not living in the present and wishing our lives away. Not taking the time to appreciate what is right in front of us. We wish for a weekend off of work. We wish for a time when we will own that big house or fancy car. We spend our lives wishing and often neglect to appreciate the moments that are in between the past and the future, the now.
Outside of our families, there are very few things that can augment our lives the way that watching our favorite team does. We become entangled in our favorite sport and entrapped by the aura of our favorite players. The passion that is created from the love of our favorite player fills our lives with memories that we will never forget.
When we think about the greats of the NBA, many names come to mind. From Jordan to Magic to Wilt to LeBron, we are thankful that we could experience the moments created by these larger than life personas.
However, we often neglect to appreciate someone to the fullest until that someone is gone. That statement couldn’t be more true than when thinking about Manu Ginobili.
Only Manu truly knows if he played his last game in Monday night’s Spurs loss to the Warriors. One thing we do know for sure is if it was, Manu left a legacy filled with exciting memories that we won’t forget anytime soon.
If it was indeed his last game, we can take a look back and reminisce on the great experiences that he will leave us with. Here are five times Manu owned the moment.
5. Dunk you very much
Manu Ginobili was known for many things. His beautiful, flowing lack hair that he had when he came into our lives in 2002. The hair that slowly faded as each year passed. He has one of the most beautiful Eurosteps in the universe. The beautiful passing ability that seemed as natural as the sun setting and the moon rising. When you think of Manu Ginobili, you will also think of his dunking ability. Wait, what?
That’s right, the man who is known for his precision shooting and pin-point accuracy actually has a monstrous dunk on his resume.
The year was 2014 and the Spurs were meeting LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA finals. The Spurs were leading 40-35 late in the second quarter of Game 5 when the unthinkable happened.
Manu Ginobili dunked over Chris Bosh…with authority.
Ginobili had the ball and was first encountered by Ray Allen. Manu forcefully imposed his will on the helpless Allen, shoving him off to the side. He then took flight, gliding through the air and assertively throwing down a left handed dunk on a hapless Chris Bosh, the same Chris Bosh who guaranteed a Game 5 victory. That didn’t happen.
Ginobili came off the bench, something he routinely did throughout his career, and finished the game with 19 points.
The Spurs would go on to win the series 4-1 and claim the NBA championship, Ginobili’s fourth and final title.