“He entered San Antonio almost as if he was a vet leader” – Michelle Beadle on how Manu Ginobili is one of the most loved Spurs of all time originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When today’s ‘accolade-driven’ fans glance at Manu Ginobili’s resume, with just two All-Star and All-NBA Team nods, it’s easy to see why they might be puzzled about where he truly ranks among the greatest shooting guards ever or even in the San Antonio Spurs’ all-time legends.
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However, NBA analyst Michelle Beadle emphasized that without Ginobili’s maturity and timely contributions, San Antonio’s four championships over a twelve-year window might have been far more difficult to secure.
Michelle Beadle was in awe of Manu Ginobili
Joining the Spurs in the 2002-03 season, Ginobili quickly adapted to the league’s system. In that year’s playoffs, Manu led the team with 1.7 steals per game and contributed 9.4 points on just 7.7 field goal attempts despite limited playing time. Then, in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals, with Tony Parker struggling (3-of-11 shooting from the field), Ginobili stepped up with 23 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the field, guiding the Spurs to a hard-fought championship win, while averaging 18.7 points per game in that series.
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He repeated his impact in the 2007 NBA Finals, averaging 17.8 points to help his team secure another title. Moreover, even in the 2014 NBA playoffs, which was the Spurs’ last championship run, Manu continued his steady output, averaging 14.3 points in the postseason.
For Beadle, the no-nonsense and full-effective impact value was what made Ginobili a fan favorite. Put simply, he stepped on the floor with a lot of emotions to make the team win, but never went overboard despite knowing he had more talent than the game-time he actually got, and this was why the Argentinian guard was one of a kind for this NBA analyst.
“I feel like he entered San Antonio almost as if he was a vet leader; he leaves as one of the all-time fan favorites. He’s established such a great place for himself in that community. It’s hard to name guys that they’ve loved more,” Beadle said at the time of Ginobili’s retirement. “He’s on that short list of guys that fans have genuinely cared for over the course of his career.”
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The Spurs would never become this legendary without Manu Ginobili
As shocking as it may sound to modern-day NBA fans, but had Ginobili played for another franchise in the league, he possessed the potential to be its undisputed face, and even his scoring output could have made him challenge other legendary guards such as Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Tracy McGrady for the top spot.
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Nevertheless, Ginobili prioritized team success over individual accolades, understanding that fulfilling his role would give the Spurs their best chance to win, a vital approach for a team that was never predominantly anticipated to be the championship favorites at a season’s outset.
The Spurs’ enduring reputation for selflessness and hard work is owed to players like Ginobili, whose unwavering commitment to the team defined their identity for decades. These players never cared about being in the spotlight and always put the team goal first. And thus, with Beadle being a Spurs fan, she recognized how dearly the fans adored him.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.