By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
Manu Ginobili was a true artist on the pitch, capable of inventing passes lights and finding shooting angles that no one would have thought of. But for a former coach, he had one big quality above all that deserved comparison with… black players.
In the history of the NBA, there are many players who we say could have had a much greater career. Most often, it is injuries that derail the destiny of extraordinary talents. Where would Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway be in the all-time hierarchy without their numerous stints in the infirmary for example?
For others, it was simply the attitude that was the problem. Shaquille O’Neal is for example considered the most dominant center of all time, but he could have claimed better with a work ethic like Kobe Bryant. The same goes for James Harden, who is as well known for his offensive cards as for his love of women and parties.
The borderline comparison of Manu Ginobili’s former coach
And then in a category still apart, there is the Argentinian genius Manu Ginobili. His only fault is having played in San Antonio under the orders of Gregg Popovich, in a system which did not necessarily allow him to take control of the meetings. If he still shone with his inspiration and left his mark on the league, his former coach at Bologna Ettore Messina especially remembers another quality about him:
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Manu Ginobili was an incredible athlete. He was jumping and flying all over the field, he was doing incredible things. He was like a black player, he was ultra-athletic.
Clichés die hard in the NBA and in the world of basketball, here is the proof. Ettore Messina, one of the most renowned coaches in Europe, did not hesitate to conflate skin color and athletic qualities in 2016.
For him, Bologna’s Manu Ginobili was easily comparable to an African-American player, since he was able to fly around the court and finish his actions near the basket in an ultra-athletic manner. It is true that he had very different qualities from Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic for example, but it is impossible to reduce him to that.
shut the fuck up and watch these Manu Ginobili highlights pic.twitter.com/dNPfvzFYVA
— secret benny (@bennyburnerchip) November 20, 2023
If the awkwardness is obvious, Manu Ginobili must have been rather flattered by the words of his former coach in the media. Indeed, he had athletic qualities well above average and he knew how to use them on the field.
2024-03-16 20:00:00
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