Manu Ginobili's greatest sacrifice shouldn't become Dylan Harper's future

Every offseason, we see new lists and updated rankings as we try to survive our non-basketball months. Well, HoopsHype released a new all-time hierarchy, and Manu Ginobili is nowhere to be found. That's nothing new. The Argentinian dynamo never makes the cut.

Still, every omission is a reminder of what he willingly gave up for the Spurs and what he'd likely give up again if given a chance for a do-over.

Ginobili chose winning over individual recognition, and that was okay. The Spurs won't ask Dylan Harper to make that same choice forever, though.

Manu Ginobili made a sacrifice that few stars ever would

San Antonio's premier sixth man arrived in the league at 25 years old as a late second-round pick. He had no promises, expectations, or guarantees to start on what was a championship-ready roster. However, what many forget is that he did start. Not as a rookie, but in his second season, Manu started 38 of a potential 77 games and 74 out of 74 in his third year.

Fortunately, he was a gracious athlete who accepted the bench role when Gregg Popovich asked him to, as the bench needed a boost. He had every right to fight that decision, but Ginobili trusted his coaches instead and became one of the greatest sixth men of all time. His faith was rewarded with a few championships, but there was still a trade-off.

Every single one of the other Spurs' legends made the list: George Gervin, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard. In the added notes at the bottom of the article, players who received votes but not enough to make the top 80 were revealed, and that's where Ginobili resides. Good, but not good enough to be revered like that. It's a slap in the face.

That doesn't make Manu's decision the wrong one. It was right for him at the time. However, the circumstances that made sense for him aren't identical to the ones facing Dylan Harper.

Harper's sacrifices will have an expiration date

There was no way for San Antonio to know they'd land the number two overall pick of the 2025 draft months after trading for De'Aaron Fox, but I'm not convinced they would have rejected the deal even if they'd known. They are just coming off a trip to the NBA Finals, and there's no guarantee of that if you change the slightest thing.

Swipa is an established talent, and Stephon Castle deserves his touches, so starting Harper off the bench isn't unreasonable. Not to mention, there's a benefit to his development process. He gets to grow in high-stakes games without the burden of orchestrating the entire offense. That's an absolute win.

But the ex-Rutgers playmaker wasn't drafted 57th, and he wasn't a fairly unknown international veteran. The Spurs picked such a highly touted prospect at number two because he can become one of the faces of the franchise.

When Harper spends his second year embracing the sixth man role, helping SA win, nobody should complain. Eventually, he'll get the chance to become the player the organization drafted him to be. Otherwise, it risks asking another elite talent to trade lasting recognition for championships.

Another all-time list, another Manu Ginobili omission, and Spurs Nation understands why. His sacrifice helped build a dynasty, and he'll be loved forever in San Antonio because of it. But one Ginobili is enough. The next franchise cornerstone deserves the chance to build a legacy that's remembered both in championship banners and on lists like these.

P.S. Manu Ginobili is 100% one of the 80 greatest players this game has ever seen.

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