Spurs Legend Manu Ginobili Officially a First-Ballot Hall of Fame Inductee
By Josh Paredes
The San Antonio Spurs will soon have another Hall of Famer, as Manu Ginobili will be a first-ballot inductee this fall.
The Athletic's Shams Charania broke the news on Thursday evening:
Ginobili will be the 10th player who spent time with the Silver and Black to make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with the most recent one being Tim Duncan in 2020. He spent all 16 of his seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs and finished with an average of 13.3 points 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game on 37% shooting from three.
Manu's selection as a first-ballot inductee was expected and well-deserved, especially when you consider his basketball accomplishments outside of the NBA. Ginobili famously led the 2004 Argentina Men's Basketball Team that defeated the United States on their way to winning gold. He also had multiple EuroLeague and Italian League honors before even joining San Antonio in 2002.
Ginobili retired after the 2018 season with four NBA championships, an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, and two NBA All-Star appearances. He currently serves as Special Advisor to Basketball Operations with the Spurs.
The Hall of Fame's induction ceremony will be held in Springfield, MA from September 9-10, 2022.