In what is most likely his last two chances to capture championship No. 4 before retirement, Manu Ginobili agreed to a two-year contract worth $14 million with the San Antonio Spurs.
Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is a great player, but is nearing the end. (Photo: Flickr user Killbucky).
Though he received interest from the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets, Ginobili made it clear that he only wanted to speak, and finish his career, with the Spurs. Unfortunately for Manu, his name left a bad taste in the mouth of Spurs fans after a finals performance that fell way below expectations.
No other player on the San Antonio Spurs seemed more in shock over the Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals than Manu, who committed eight turnovers in the defeat and said he was “devastated” afterward at the final score. Though he was able to relive a vintage performance that the fans recognized in Game 5 with 24 points, he finished the series averaging less than 12 points per game and will be remembered more for the costly mistakes he made throughout, which left him pondering retirement for a brief time period.
Similar to the reception that Tiago Splitter received for his new contract agreement, many believe Ginobili’s decline was a sign of what to expect from now on and were disappointed to hear that he will be making $7 million a year through the 2015 season.
Spurs owner Peter Holt showed his true loyalty with Manu’s new contract, just as he said of the big three before: “We’re all going to die together.” While the San Antonio community will enjoy seeing Manu as a key part of at least two more runs to the championship, many are still left believing that he will be overpaid in this new deal.
His shooting percentages this postseason dropped to the lowest since the 2004 playoff run and his decline in overall performance was painfully noticeable as well. Known for the rather reckless style of play he puts on from time to time, those risks weren’t coming through for him this time and instilled bad memories into everyone who watched.
His brightest moment came in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors when he found himself wide open for the game-winning 3-pointer, allowing fans to relax after an erratic and unnecessary 3-point attempt and miss. Despite playing as a shell of the old Manu, he still was able to pull through at times throughout the season.
Manu’s role has changed more into a facilitator, as well as a mentor for the young guns including Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Nando De Colo. He’s had to shy away from slashing and taking the ball to the paint as he was known for in his prime, which is usually what occurs when age takes its toll.
Though his stats slightly declined compared to recent seasons, it’s expected of Ginobili to not carry as big of a scoring load as he is used to with the emergence of Leonard and Green, who had their own spotlights in the Finals. With the possibility of a further decrease in stat production, it’s up to Manu to use his intangibles to contribute in areas of the game where his age won’t fail him.
By the time Manu’s new contract is close to expiring, he will be creeping on 38 years of age. Needless to say, having a main rotation player on the verge of retirement and already showing signs of deterioration is a risky investment to make, especially at $7 million a year.
While ultimately business is business in the NBA, there’s a clear sense, especially with this new deal, that the Spurs are a team to consider the loyalty and history of their players. It’s hard to imagine the same success and popularity the Spurs have had over the past decade without Manu Ginobili.
Ginobili has served as an icon to the San Antonio community, as well as the Argentinean community and international basketball as a whole. Being a small market franchise, the Spurs are very grateful for what Manu has been able to contribute over the course of his career there and understand that it will be extremely difficult to replicate the success they’ve had while he’s worn the silver and black.
Coach Gregg Popovich’s quote also does a pretty nice job of wrapping up the reason behind Manu’s new contract: “He’s Manu Ginobili.”
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