Manu Ginobili likely doesn’t care about lists like this, but that’s why he has an army of fans. We’ll gladly fight these battles in his name, whether he requests it or not. When the NBA 75th Anniversary Team was announced in 2021, only one member of the Big Three was on there: Tim Duncan.

There have been many special players who have come overseas. That’s no excuse to leave off one of the best we’ve seen, nor is Duncan’s inclusion an excuse to leave off another Spurs player simply because they played in the same era. I’m not sure if either of those reasons is why this decision was made. I’m trying to find a rationalization for it, though, and I’m flailing because it doesn’t make sense.

Manu Ginobili is a legend, no matter what the criteria

My first question is how many of them led their team to a gold medal in the Olympics while on a team other than the USA? There’s only one of them. His name is Manu Ginobili. That accomplishment right there should put him among such an expansive list of 75, but that’s not even close to where his success ends.

This is a four-time champion who was instrumental in winning those titles. You could argue that he wasn’t as dynamic during the first run, but he played in all 24 playoff games, played 27 minutes per game, and played his role well. One of the greatest sixth men all time, Manu averaged nine points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and was making threes at a 38% clip.

Ginobili was not the first to hit the Euro-step, but he’s the player who popularized it, and now it’s one of the deadliest weapons for drivers of the basketball. Everyone from guards to big men use it, and 1/3rd of thee Big 3 from Argentina deserves credit for that.

Ginobili earned is way among the NBA’s best

Ginobili was no slouch on defense, and he was a special offensive player. He could knock down shots from outside, finish among the trees in the paint with a creative lay-up package, or he’d just dunk on your head. His ball-handling was awesome, and staying in front of him was almost impossible. Everyone knew he wanted to get to his left hand, but you still couldn’t stop it.

Not having one of the winningest players in basketball history who brought home several championships, popularized a move that’s still being used today, and led his team to an Olympic gold medal was malpractice when this list was released, and it remains so. Spurs fans won’t have it.