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Four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili will be headlining the class of 2022 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductees. Ginobili will be a first ballot inductee.
Ginobili spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he became a four-time champion. He was part of the Spurs' big three, alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
In an interview with AP's Tim Reynolds, Ginobili reflected on his career and accomplishments:
“It’s not just about individual accomplishments,” Ginobili said. “I never won a scoring championship, an MVP, even first-team. I’m here because of my surroundings, of the players I play with, of the coaches I’ve been coached with, and the organizations.
"I know I’ve been very lucky to have played with such teammates... so definitely, I don’t take it as an individual achievement. It’s just that I’ve been in the right place, in the right time.”
Ginobili was picked at No. 57 in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft. It is worth noting that as the third-to-last pick, Ginobili made it to the All-Rookie second team.
“I wanted to do good, I wanted to help, I wanted to grow, but I wasn’t the No. 1, first pick, right? I was 57, so I knew that the odds of me staying for long here were not with me because it doesn’t usually happen. So, it turned out to be an incredible story and enjoyed 16 wonderful years.”
Manu Ginobili's illustrious career in the NBA
Manu Ginobili's illustrious career with the San Antonio Spurs spanned 16 years. He was part of the Spurs' iconic trio alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and helped the team contend through the 2000s and the mid-2010s.
Ginobili was a four-time champion with the Spurs, a two-time NBA All-Star, and an All-Rookie Second Team honoree. He also won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008. Coming off the bench during the 2007-08 season, Ginobili averaged 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Ginobili was also an incredibly established player on the international stage. He won Finals MVP in the EuroLeague and back-to-back MVP awards in the Italian league. He also won the scoring title in the EuroLeague finals on two occasions.
The Euro step, a move which players use when running to the basket, has also become more popular because of Ginobili.
