Besides the recently retired Tim Duncan, one would struggle arguing that anybody besides Manu Ginobili has given more to the San Antonio Spurs over their career.
Ginobili, who was drafted by the Spurs back in 1999 and played his first game with the club in 2002, has spent his entire 15-year NBA career with San Antonio. He’s racked up several individual awards, such as being named to the All-Star team twice and being named Sixth Man of the Year in 2008, but his contributions towards winning team awards are what fans remember him most for.
Ginobili played a key role in helping the Spurs win four NBA championships, and the sacrifices he made on the court are admired by the franchise — Including the time he suffered a serious groin injury after putting his body on the line last season.
“I gave my right one,” Ginobili told Don Harris of News 4 San Antonio (as transcribed by theScore. “I gave it all, I gave it all. I gave my right one for the Spurs, I can say it, I can really say it. It’s true.”
Ginobili would later need surgery for the groin injury, which would wind up sidelining him for 12 games. It’s moves like this that’s helped Ginobili earn the respect of Spurs fans, putting his body on the line and doing anything it takes to win the game.
Ginobili has played a total of 924 games in a Spurs jersey, logging an absurd 24,290 minutes with the franchise. He’s showed up to thousands of shootaround sessions, film sessions and team practices. He’s even passed on some of his wisdom to younger players such as Jonathan Simmons, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, helping mold them into the players they are today.
It’s safe to say that Ginobili has put his heart and soul into the San Antonio Spurs franchise, and he knows it.
