Remembering Manu Ginobili's most epic game in every NBA season

2007 - Manu shuts the door on Phoenix Suns with a cool 33

I think it's safe to say the Phoenix Suns had nightmares featuring Manu Ginobili throughout the 2000s. He constantly answered the call when needed against his Western Conference rivals, which included a 48-point explosion in 2005.

In front of a home crowd, the Spurs were looking to close out the Suns in six games in the second round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. As they did so often, the Big Three showed up in a massive way, with Ginobili being the brightest star at the end of the night.

The 33 points Manu poured in was the third-most he ever scored in a postseason game, and he added 11 boards, six assists, and four steals on top of that. It was truly one of the best games he ever played, and the performance led to another Western Conference Finals appearance and, eventually, another NBA title.

2008 - Cavs have no answer for red-hot Manu Ginobili at home

The 2007-08 season was the highest-scoring season of Manu's career, as he averaged 19.5 points per game despite only starting 23 times. The fact that he didn't make an All-Star team despite having multiple season-highs that year is a tragedy, as he was arguably hitting a second peak at this time.

During a visit to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland in February, 2008, Ginobili went absolutely bonkers, putting up 46 points and dishing eight assists while also tallying three steals. It was a performance that even outshined the great LeBron James, who scored 39 points, and it led to a 112-105 victory that sent the crowd back to their homes scratching their heads.

2009 - Manu outduels Stephen Jackson in Oakland

A few years removed from helping the Spurs win their second NBA championship, Stephen Jackson was thriving for the "we believe" era Golden State Warriors that ended up shocking the first-seeded Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

Jackson's peak scoring years happened then, and he was showcasing every bit of that during a February 2009 matchup in Oakland against San Antonio. Scoring 33 points, Jackson fought hard to keep his depleted squad alive, but Ginobil proved too much in the end.

Ginobili and Duncan both scored 32 points apiece as the Spurs won 110-105 to climb to 33-14 on the season.

2010 - Manu pours in 43 points in a rare start

Manu Ginobili only had 21 starts in the 2009-10 season, and the Orlando Magic probably wish their game wasn't one of them. Boasting a 53-22 record behind a lineup including Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis, Orlando visited the Spurs for an April 2010 matchup that got away from them in the third quarter.

In the contest, Manu did his best impression of James Harden, getting to the line for 17 free throws and burying 14 of them. By the time the Spurs won 112-100, he'd scored a monstrous 43 points while securing six rebounds and handing out five dimes. All in a day's work.