Top 50: Manu Ginobili, no. 29

• Add a Comment
• x

  Invite a Friend

  Your name:
  Your email:
  Friend name:
  Friend email:
  
  Invite a friend
• Share
• RSS

• jdn41 Posted: Sep.21 at 2:56 am
  first b!itches

• jdn41 Posted: Sep.21 at 2:57 am
  first b1tches

• MC Pats Posted: Sep.21 at 3:04 am
  wat about no. 30?
  Manu is better than this, however his health might affect him badly so good placing.

• KING Bish Posted: Sep.21 at 3:28 am
  This is a very well-written and persuasive article. However, I do have one problem: the author’s comment about Kobe Bryant. Common, nobody in their right mind can possibly think that Manu Ginobli is a more clutch player than Kobe Bryant. Sure, the statistic that the author threw out there is impressive, but how can we possibly measure exactly how impressive it is when significant details are missing, such as FG Attempts by these two in the last 5 minutes. I’m willing to make an educated guess and say that Kobe’s is much higher. Also, I don’t think that the word “clutch” entirely means in the last 5 minutes of the game. I believe that a player is also clutch whenever he makes a shot that his team drastically needed or whenever he makes a shot to beat the shot-clock. In fact, there are many other aspects associated with “clutch” than just what occurs within the last 5 minutes of a game – although that is perhaps the most important aspect. Plus, Kobe has made many game winning shots or go-ahead shots that actually count; I don’t recall the last time Manu did (if he is even healthy enough to get to that point). Then again, I barely paid attention to the Spurs’ live postseason games when they were dominating (but I always watched highlights) because they were so d*mn boring, so I could be wrong (which would be a bad thing anyways because it proves how unmemorable those shots were). Anyways, NOBODY should even whisper the name Manu Ginobli whenever Kobe is being discussed. Period. LAKERS AGAIN IN 2010

• T Money Posted: Sep.21 at 3:51 am
  Thanks to whoever wrote this. Twas a great read.

• Bigi Posted: Sep.21 at 3:56 am
  30?

• T Money Posted: Sep.21 at 4:14 am
  Also, Manu is much better than Iguodala, Marion, Rip Hamilton and arguably better than Butler, Carter and Parker. But obviously he’s getting the Arenas treatment on this list.

• Reggie Bonz Posted: Sep.21 at 5:02 am
  Manu doesn’t take nearly as many shot attempts in the last 5 minutes (plus OT) of a game compared to Kobe Bryant. Hence the difference in FG%, which by the way is hardly the barometer in clutchness.

• T Money Posted: Sep.21 at 6:27 am
  Manu’s also better than Monta Ellis.

• C-Mac Posted: Sep.21 at 6:49 am
  great article
  one question…. where number 30?
  it went david west – 31
  manu ginobli – 29

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.21 at 8:34 am
  top-6
  player in the world in the past decade(along with Kobe,Bodiroga,Duncan,Dirk & Shaq) top-10 shooting guard of all-time, top-6 in the NBA even now if he is healthy. Hope that he participates next year at the world championship so i can enjoy live for one last time the greatest guards of the past decade Manu & Kobe in the biggest bball stage .

• Carter Posted: Sep.21 at 8:36 am
  Yeah, I was wondering about no. 30 myself. Its ok though, I won the nba live 10 game so I cant moan at slam too much!

• Young C Posted: Sep.21 at 8:42 am
  Just when you thought this list couldnt get any wackier, they go and start skipping numbers!! They should just do -30 next.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.21 at 8:47 am
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009-THE END (starring Bill Russell,Pau Gasol, Oscar Robertson,Vassilis Spanoulis, Rudy and,… Allen Iverson ):(PART – 1) The championship ended yesterday and Spain was the rightful winner. I saw all the games the last 3 days and i will present you with the most important highlights of each day starting with the Friday.Friday was the last day of the quarterfinals when Slovenia managed to get past Croatia after the point guard of Croatia made a stupid mistake that got Slovenia back in the game. The other game was an epic one, one of those that make you feel lucky that you follow this sport. After a great battle Greece managed to pass through Turkey and Spanoulis,playing one of his better games with the national uniform outdueled Hedo in the battle of superstars. The game was close but at the end of the fourth quarter Hedo (that went scoreless in the first half) made two big 3pointers under pressure and gave turkey a lead of 6 points two minutes before the end. Then Spanoulis answered back with two huge plays (he had 6 3pointers,all under pressure and two of them from 9 metres) and the game went to overtime. Fotsis was once again huge and Greece prevailed to meet Spain in the semifinal.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.21 at 9:09 am
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009-THE END (starring Bill Russell,Pau Gasol, Oscar Robertson,Vassilis Spanoulis, Rudy and,… Allen Iverson ):(PART – 2)Saturday featured the two semifinals with Serbia managing a surprise win over Slovenia in overtime with Milos Teodosic having a huge game (32 points with 6 3 pointers including the one that sent the game to overtime). On the other semifinal the two best teams in Europe in the last 5 years (and two of the top-4 in the world along with Argentina&USA) were meeting once again although this time Greece was without 4 of it’s top-8 players while Spain was missing only Calderon. But the Spain team that had struggled in the beggining of the tournament was starting to perform again near perfection and Pau Gasol was determined to capture the tittle that was hunting him in his whole career. So Greece was in a tough position from the bigging that became even worse when a few feet near our bench came to sit, guess who(!),Allen Iverson(oh yes!!!!),who got a standing ovation from the crowd.He then on said that he had a great offer from Olympiakos but family issues denied him th opportunity to play in Europe.He also said that he feels that he has lots of gas in the tank left and he will propably came to play in Europe in the near future (oh my god….).Anyway,at that moment i new that it was almost impossible to ge the win…Greece(that had played less than 24 hours in the overtime quarterfinal against Turkey) fought for the fisrt half but Spain had a plan of not letting Spanoulis beat them by himself. Ricky and Cabezas was pressing him all-over the court forcing him to commit many mistakes. Gasol dominated under the basket and Rudy was flying around for dunks. At the middle of the 3rd period Spanoulis sat on the bench along with the rest of our starting five and guys that hadn’t appear at the moment took some playing time (Koufos!!!). Truth is that even rested and with all our best players in Poland(Diamatidis,Papaloukas,Vasilopoulos etc) we were propably going to lose from Spain. Kalathes that took a lot of playing time since Spanoulis&Zisis went to the bench had the opportunity to test himself against Ricky and he really held his own.

• Hursty Posted: Sep.21 at 9:12 am
  Hey, that piece was dope, but I wanna know who wrote it?!
  That writing deserves to have an author acknowledged.
  Liking the Eminem verse in there as well. “slaps the taste out of your mouth”.
  Manu had some sick dunks back when he was younger too, and his body control is just ridiculous.
  This guy HAS been an all-star too, so don’t forget that (2005).

• Babygab Posted: Sep.21 at 9:19 am
  The big Aristote is number 30.

• Z Posted: Sep.21 at 9:32 am
  Manu is a bad mofo. He’s better than 29 when healthy but I’m not even sure if he’ll ever be back to his old self.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.21 at 9:35 am
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009-THE END (starring Bill Russell,Pau Gasol, Oscar Robertson,Vassilis Spanoulis, Rudy and,… Allen Iverson ):(PART – 3)Friday was the last day of the tournament. Greece palyed against Slovenia for the bronze medal and the game went once again to the limit. Spanoulis was exhausted but luckily for us Sofoklis “BIG SOFO” Schortsanitis had the gameof his life scoring 23 of our 57 points with 7/9 FG’s and getting also a free throw for most of his made FG’s since his opponents were hanging by his huge hands with no result (if you’ve seen SHAQ from 1997 to 2002 you get the picture). In the end our captain Antonis Fotsis broke the tie with a big 3pointer and Bostjan Nachbar’s attempt from midcourt was unsuccesful giving this young Greek team the bronze medal. in the final everybody was wondering which way Spain was going to lose once again a Eurofinal (they had never won in their history since yesterday). the spaniards got determined from the beggining and Pau Gasol was screaming after made basket like he was playing for his life (no wonder he insisted to play even after a broken finger). He and Navaro were making baskets from all over the place(even Ricky made his 3′s) and the game was over before it started(50-26 just before halftime). In the end Spain proved that is simply the best bball team in the world with only a much superior athletically U.S. team able to challenge them. Next year in Turkey will be really interesting. At the medal ceremony Spanoulis was presented by the great Bill Russell with a trophy for being chosen at the all-star team of the tournament (along with Teodosic,Lorbek,Gasol and Rudy) while a tearfull Gasol was presented the MVP by Oscar Robertson. Next year i hope i give you live reports from Turkey when all the world greats will be present. GO GREECE!!!!

• T Money Posted: Sep.21 at 9:58 am
  Dear SOFOKLIS,
  I just wanted to let you know that you can sign up for a free blog at Blogspot or WordPress.
  Have a good day

• youngmuggsy Posted: Sep.22 at 8:29 am
  bish: Since 2003 Kobe has made 25% (14 for 56) of his game winning shot attempts. For comparison the league average is 29.8% and fellow superstar Carmelo Anthony has made 13 of his 27 (48.1%) game winning shot attempts.

• Solon Posted: Sep.22 at 8:30 am
  So from now on, we say that player X would be the best player on a given team (30 teams, players 1-30). Some have more than 1 in the top 30 (Celtics, Lakers, Nuggets etc), while some have none. So, the question is, would Manu be the best player on any team?
  Maybe. Memphis-Rudy Gay is their best player? Or iverson? I’d take Manu.
  Maybe GS-although i think given his injuries and extensive playing time over the years(summers, etc. ) -dubs would rather have Captin Jack or Monta.
  Clippers-Baron? I guess i take Manu.
  Kings-Kevin Martin…
  Rockets-Who IS their best player? An injured T-Mac? Also,
  I am really sick of all this Euro League crap. Who frickin cares? If they are good in Europe, then they want to come to the NBA. More players come from US Universities to the NBA then abroad every year, so you could say College ball is better then Euroleague. And I wouldn’t argue-It’s way better to watch anyhow. When talking about how good they are, don’t mention the Italian league. It is a joke. Talk about their NBA accolades, but let Europe play futbol, cause that’s what they like anyways. and Mr. SOFO-Game of his life is 23 points? The Team total was 59? Is this a girls high school game score? Europe sucks, get over it.

• Hisham Posted: Sep.22 at 8:31 am
  This guy should be a first ballot HOF-er when all’s said and done. F individual stats, which are good enough. that dude just wins every damn thing out there. incredible

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 8:39 am
  @hisham….:Exactly. I know a guy that throughout his career has been the exact opposite of Manu: NEVER win anything NOWHERE. Furthermore, his greatest acomplishment is measured in shoe sales. You think such a guy should also be considered for the hall…???!!!

• BB Posted: Sep.22 at 8:53 am
  great article!!

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 8:54 am
  elaborating on a previous comment, here are the TOP-10 Shooting Guards of all time(in order): JORDAN, DRAZEN, KOBE, WEST, BELOV, GALIS, MANU, GERVIN, MILLER, WADE. And the TOP-10 basketball players in the past decade(also in order): KOBE, DUNCAN, DIRK, MANU, SHAQ, GARNETT, BODIROGA, PIERCE, GASOL, JASIKEVICIOUS. Manu is easily one of the 50 (maybe even 40) greatest players of all time and this fact will enable him to enter both hall-of fames,even if his numbers ain’t what you usually meet in the ame*ican one.

• Eboy Posted: Sep.22 at 9:01 am
  I’d take Manu on my squad anyday. It’s a a really well done piece, Adam……although at one point early it felt like you were speaking like an ex-patriot but then you became an All-American Hero with this line, “It wasn’t even close. Manu topped the list and shoots lights out at a 57.4% clip. Your boy Kobe? 44.8%. Do I have your attention yet?”
  Any well placed shot at The Weasel is all good with me.

• reidar Posted: Sep.22 at 9:06 am
  The article is a great read. However, I find the placing and the article contradictory. There are more than enough arguments that say that he should be higher on the list. Its kinda cheap to just slap on underrated at the end of the article and place him 29. 29! Thats not even All Star… If he is underrated Slam should try to change that image of him instead of just continue the same path of underrating him

• kobesbestfriend Posted: Sep.22 at 9:29 am
  way overrated!!!if he wasnt playing with TD he’d be just another hedo!!!

• tavoris Posted: Sep.22 at 9:34 am
  I wish the comment section had a button where you could ignore certain posters…

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 9:46 am
  Also, Manu is much better than Iguodala, Marion, Rip Hamilton and arguably better than Butler, Carter and Parker. But obviously he’s getting the Arenas treatment on this list. Im not a sixers fan, but i do watch basketball and anybody who watches basketball should be able to tell that Iguodala does not belong in a list like that. Manu is the number 3 option on his team, Marion is the number 4 or 5 option, and the rest of those guys are the number 2 option on their team. Comparing Iguodala to Manu is like comparing Tony Parker to Tyrone Lue. Iguodala is his teams best scorer who only averages less than 20 ppg because he would rather involve his teamates then gun everytime he has the ball. Manu may be good as a starter, but he is a natural 6th man…he shoots whether hes making shots or not, drives recklessly and often makes bad plays with the ball…and their defense is not even comparable. I agree Manu is a great player and deserves his no.29 spot, but dont compare him to Iggy. Watch a game before making an ignorant comment please.

• Sparker Posted: Sep.22 at 10:02 am
  as far as the jordan-like, “f-you, i’m holding the ball and going to the hoop, now try and stop and me,” there are only a few players who even dare to pull that sh*t at the end of the game, and manu is one of them. and even good players (chris bosh, stand up) regularly embarrass themselves when they try because, hey, 1-on-5 just ain’t that easy.

• Sparker Posted: Sep.22 at 10:05 am
  and even though i hate the spurs, i miss seeing manu finish with the jam in traffic over some startled seven footer

• Lakets Posted: Sep.22 at 10:10 am
  WAYYYY OVERRATED… HE IS like 60 or something man

• J.C. Posted: Sep.22 at 10:11 am
  Manu’s daaaaaaamn efficient and I agree that he’d be an All Star on another team, but the fact that he’s playing next to Tony Parker and Tim Duncan has to help his efficiency. When the defense has to worry about the best Power Forward of all time and one of the quickest, most dynamic PG’s in the league Manu will slip through the cracks at times. Having said that, Manu’s sick, he could go a few spots higher on my list talent-wise.

• jalberto Posted: Sep.22 at 10:15 am
  Ginobili is underrated, he deserves a better position. Manu gives a touch of star quality every time he plays

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 10:25 am
  @tavoris…..: comment sections do not have such buttons cause humans (ok, don’t get disapointed, not all of them) easily can perform this task (may i call it….: “skip reading irritating posters”….?) using their brain.(and now i got to explain to you what a ‘brain’ is….nevermind….)

• Hirsch Posted: Sep.22 at 10:28 am
  “Manu doesn’t take nearly as many shot attempts in the last 5 minutes (plus OT) of a game compared to Kobe Bryant. Hence the difference in FG%, which by the way is hardly the barometer in clutchness.” You obviously don’t watch many Spurs games. If Manu is in, the ball is usually in his hands. Also, % is part of the barometer of “clutchness.”

• tavoris Posted: Sep.22 at 10:29 am
  @SOFOKLIS, no explanation needed from you (of all people, really? really?). that is all.

• Wayno Posted: Sep.22 at 10:36 am
  Man, if only he were healthy…he’s a phenominal player he’d be in the teens if he didn’t get hurt so much. @ SFOKLIS 10:25 – that’s some funny ish right there, I still hate 99% of your posts though. Unlike alot of morons, I just don’t read most of yours. That last one though, funny stuff.

• TC Posted: Sep.22 at 10:53 am
  Great all around player who gives 110% every time when he’s out there. I really don’t understand why people think the Spurs is boring. Manu and TP are easily two of the most entertaining players to watch.

• Allenp Posted: Sep.22 at 10:57 am
  I remember when people were comparing Manu to Wade.
  He ain’t underrated.

• Allenp Posted: Sep.22 at 11:00 am
  I think Manu is great. He’s also injury prone. So, I have trouble rating him. When healthy and on his game, he’s a game changer. But, between his injuries and off nights, well it’s hard to depend on him year in and year out.

• tavoris Posted: Sep.22 at 11:01 am
  wayno, the dilemma is that some people have something intelligent to say, and scrolling past his jumbled, condescending nonsense is counterproductive. He’s the equivalent of spam or junk mail, and relishes in the fact that he’s a prick.

• Bryan Posted: Sep.22 at 11:11 am
  I don’t like manu. Not gonna argue with his placement though.

• TADOne Posted: Sep.22 at 11:18 am
  Manu when healthy = top 15 player.

• tavoris Posted: Sep.22 at 11:21 am
  TADOne…I agree. Other than Kobe, there isn’t a more complete guard.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 11:25 am
  @Bullsfan887…..:BRILLIANT!!!! “where comparing bball imortals with track&field athletes happens!!!!”
  @WAYNO…..:you write ” I still hate 99% of your posts though. Unlike alot of morons, I just don’t read most of yours. That last one though, funny stuff.” . So….you read almost nothing from me,BUT this “almost nothing” is enough to give you a sample that leads to a 99% result,….your writing makes Allenp look like a genious…your conflict partner couldn’t be somebody else but tavoris….

• cb 34 Posted: Sep.22 at 11:44 am
  He should have been way higher. This guy is way clutch. He’s won numerous games for the spurs and not just with the winning bucket. I’m not saying i’d take him over kobe with 10 secs to go and the game tied but i will have to pause and think about it. For a while. I’d probably take him over kob in the end. He attacks from all angles and is an excellent passer. No weaknesses offensively or defensively. Probably the best at separating from the defender, up there with deron and wade.He is injury prone but my mindset with him is i’m always confident he’ll be back in top form unlike with gilbert or t-mac. The guy’s a winner, simple as that. With a healthy manu and their acquisitions, i think they have enough to beat la in a 7 game series. Big fan of no. 20.

• Allenp Posted: Sep.22 at 11:56 am
  Greek dude
  Thanks for noticing me. I love when you randomly say my name. It makes me believe that I matter in the world. I’m so thankful that SLAM allows you to exist and interact with us mere mortals. I couldn’t be happier and more fulfilled.
  I mean, it’s obvious from your posts that you are a basketball genius, everybody here says so, don’t they. We all marvel at your ability to put together concise and thoughtful posts on a variety of topics. It’s amazing how you manage to remain so clear-headed, but still interesting.
  Please don’t ever, ever leave our humble commenting community. The very foundations of the message board would collapse without your stalwart support.
  Humbly yours
  The Cartoon lover.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 12:11 pm
  @Allenp….: you write “It’s amazing how you manage to remain so clear-headed, but still interesting.” So….that means that for somebody to be intersting and at the same time clear-headed is almost impossible OR that only the hot-headed are interesting OR …i give up. And then you want me not to mention your name ….as Jerry said: “HELP ME TO HELP YOU !!!”
  p.s….:your “lover” was present at the Eurochampionship in Poland trying to do what he was made famous for,yeap, sell shoes!!!!. In the process he had the opportunity to observe a lecture by a real player (Spanoulis) on how you can lead your team to success while being an undersized 2 guard…

• airs Posted: Sep.22 at 12:23 pm
  on a tangent, im getting a little worried that i havent seen d rose yet.
  but maybe you’ll give him credit that i thought you overlooked.
  but if not, thats a disgrace. OJ gets shine and not drose? don’t do it Slam.

• Klav Posted: Sep.22 at 12:27 pm
  Uhhh, he still needs Rogaine.

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 12:31 pm
  SOFOKLIS: I hope your not referring to Igoudala as a track and field athlete. If all you watch is the top ten highlights on sportscenter and NBAtv, then maybe you could assume that. But please watch this dude play a real game, the only thing Manu does better than Iggy is shoot. Much better all-around.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 12:37 pm
  @airs….:drose is at least top-25 according to SLAM. And i agree.
  @Bullsfan887….: when Iggy’s ranking comes up i’ll give you my opinion on this run-run,jump-jump (helped by…. a head about to explode) athlete.

• UnRel Posted: Sep.22 at 12:39 pm
  i don’t think he’s underrated.. i think he gets his shine.. he’s just outshined by TD, Tony Longoria.. and, now… RJ.. but he’s one of my favorite players to watch..

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 12:45 pm
  Oh i already got your opinion. Saying that honeslty neglects everything you said while you sat here spending your (obviously very important and busy)life talking about some munk-looking bball player that hasnt played an important minute of basketball in over a year. Your comments on one of the most versatile talented players in the league honestly proves that you know absolutely nothing about basketball and you probably develop you opinions by looking at nothing but game highlights and by reading other peoples articles. Now nothing you say holds any validity and it is obvious that your are just some ignorant Manu fan.

• Michael Posted: Sep.22 at 12:47 pm
  iggy isnt even going to be here is he? surely not. if he hasnt been here by now he wont make it at all, right.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 12:53 pm
  @Bullsfan887…..:no,no,i’m a thoughtful Iverson fun(that one is instant self-contradiction)!!!! seriously now,what is a munk…?

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 12:59 pm
  @Michael….:are you serious???? have you seen the guy dunk…????!!!! Tell-em Eboy!!

• Bryan Posted: Sep.22 at 12:59 pm
  Dude I know I asked already but for real what are the posting rules for? This greek dude exists only to aggravate the people on this website and no one does anything about it but when some regular dude like an eboy or an allenp make a d*ck joke they get the editor all over their ass. Where’s the justice?

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 1:01 pm
  im an Iverson fan too…very much so. But watching the sixers while having iverson is completley diffrent than watching them now. Iggy leads a team and spends his time getting everyone involved. His game isnt dependent on scoring like Manu, its everything else that he does that leads to easy bucks for him. His athletisism will always be his downfall beacuse its assumed thats all hes got. What im saying is, if you were to watch hime play, watch him guard some of the best 2s and 3s in the league and still drop a consistent 19,20ppg, you would be able to tell how good of a basketball player he is.
  I was calling him a monk cause of the hair….idk

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 1:13 pm
  @Bryan____:dude,…dude,…dude…solid argumentation,Immanuel “Manu”(sorry master…) Kant would be proud of you.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 1:15 pm
  @Bullsfan887_____:Iverson fun, Iggy fun….i bet you used to be a “STARBURY!!” also…

• Allenp Posted: Sep.22 at 1:15 pm
  Bryan
  Don’t get the Greek dude banned.
  The best cure for ignorance is exposure. The more he talks, the more people see the light.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 1:16 pm
  @Bullsfan887_____:Iverson fun, Iggy fun….i bet you used to be a “STARBURY!!” fun also…

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 1:19 pm
  Ive never been an Starbury fun, i dont think ive ever been a fun of anything. Come to think of it im not sure what a fun is.

• chitownrep54 Posted: Sep.22 at 1:24 pm
  @bullsfan887 – i see you know your business. iguodala has been deemed one of the best wing defenders in the league and if you ever played a minute of basketball in your life, wing defense is the most difficult area of defense. you aren’t fighting for position, or just sticking a man, you are anticipating cuts, passes, and any movement towards the hoop. other than pure athleticism, you need a knowledge of the game and iguodala has that. add in his ability to slash and his developing jump shot and he shows how he has become a legit force in the league, moreso each year.

• Bryan Posted: Sep.22 at 1:24 pm
  Don’t worry allenp they won’t ban him anyway the rules are for show.

• AlbertBarr Posted: Sep.22 at 1:35 pm
  I think SOFLKLISCHINTSTANTISHISHANIS should just post as “the GreekDude”. This is a much better name.

• Bullsfan887 Posted: Sep.22 at 1:42 pm
  chitownrep54: not only are you probably very good looking, but you know your basketball

• Enigmatic Posted: Sep.22 at 1:47 pm
  Sofoklis – your namesake sucks. “Baby Shaq” my nuts….

• doyouwantmore Posted: Sep.22 at 1:49 pm
  LOL I can’t believe how fast the Kobe Homers starting in with their man-boy-love for Mamba. It’s almost ridiculous at this point. Hum-hum-hummping Kobe’s leg does not do him any justice, geeks. He’s a great player, for sure. I hate him and his team but even I’ll admit he’s a great player. The problem is that if there was a thread about who runs a better dog-fighting ring, Plaxico Burress or Shawn Merriman, someone would come in with “Yo, I’m happy for you, and I’mma let you finish, but Kobe Bryant runs the best dogfighting ring of all time! The best dogfighting ring of ALL TIME!” Awesome write-up on Manu by the way.

• jdn41 Posted: Sep.22 at 1:50 pm
  manu is prolly my favourite white dunker in the nba dude has some nasty facials

• Ontheroadagain Posted: Sep.22 at 2:01 pm
  This guy is no Franchise player material.
  Every Manu fan wants to see a 42 min Manu or a non-spurs Manu. Wouldn’t he put Kobe numbers? If he could, he would !!!
  Actually, Manu doesn’t play 42 min per game, he doesn’t score 30 pts a game because he CAN’T achieve it on a daily basis. Every spurs fans know that Manu is not consistent enough to be a all time great. 3 great games, 3 ugly games and so on…
  Proven winner? for sure (having TD and TP doesn’t hurt), great second or third option? no doubt. Thing is: he simply can’t be the leader of a winning NBA team (i’m not talking FIBA BB here)

• Franko Posted: Sep.22 at 2:06 pm
  Manu is top 10! with TD and TP or with out them.
  like pippen is top ten with or without MJ…

• Brad Long Posted: Sep.22 at 2:07 pm
  Thanks for doing Manu justice, Adam. If he didn’t flop around like a fish and play for the Spurs he’d probably be one of my favorite players because his skill set is so legit. But he does, so he’s not.

• Klav Posted: Sep.22 at 2:30 pm
  Uhhhh, Manu isn’t white. That’s like calling Pau white. It’s just a bad look.

• logues Posted: Sep.22 at 2:34 pm
  Manu? Tony?

• tavoris Posted: Sep.22 at 2:38 pm
  Ontheroadagain…then Ginobli plays well, the Spurs win. When he doesn’t, they lose. That’s a pretty good barometer of a player’s impact, and it’s been a true for him since his second season. Popovich has always tried to limit his players minutes (so their minutes on the court are effective), so the fact that Ginobili plays less than 30mpg should be taken with a grain of salt. Duncan hasn’t played 35mpg in FIVE YEARS. Tony Parker has NEVER played 35 mpg.

• Klav Posted: Sep.22 at 2:45 pm
  Well Tavoris, he did play a season high 51 minutes when he had the career high 55 points…but I’m just saying, I get your point. Pop does that since he knows his team aren’t necessarily the young guns of the L, and that’s why their offense is so efficient cause he knows how to completely utilize his players to their strengths.

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.22 at 2:54 pm
  Derrick Rose is going to be too high on this list. Unless he is next. Yes, he’s going to breakout next season, and he had a great rookie year, but for real he isn’t at superstar status yet. Kevin Durant dropped 20 ppg his rookie year and he was 50 on SLAM’s list last year……… Derrick Rose had a nice playoff run but he shouldn’t be higher than a lot of proven vets already. 17 and 6 from last year isn’t the greatest achievement ever. Next years list, having him top 20 will be justified.
  Then again, by the way these lists are going I wouldn’t be surprised to see Allen Iverson appear again at #20… And then again at #7. And Steward Scott at #3.

• jdn41 Posted: Sep.22 at 2:55 pm
  ..pau is spanish manu is white eat a d!ck the colour of his skin is white i didnt caucasian i said WHITE

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 3:13 pm
  @jnd41…..:BRILLIANT !!!!!(all this brain power gathered in this forum,it is amasing….silicon valley should start recruiting many of us as soon as possible)

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 3:15 pm
  IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!
  IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!
  IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!
  IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!
  IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!IVERSON!!!!STARBURY!!!!
  (keeping it real….)

• The D Train Posted: Sep.22 at 3:51 pm
  @jdn41: speaking of nasty facials, here comes SOFOKLIS with some more asinine ravings…

• Klav Posted: Sep.22 at 3:52 pm
  “..pau is spanish manu is white eat a d!ck the colour of his skin is white i didnt caucasian i said WHITE”
  Manu is actually Argentinian, and last I checked that’s in South America. And yes, you’re right Pau is from Spain. But your sentence doesn’t even make sense “i didn’t caucasian i said white,” not quite sure what that means, and especially with the “eat a d!ck” when you were the one who said “has some nasty facials.” For ONCE I agree with Spanny, you are ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 3:57 pm
  HAhahaha… Drazen, top ten point shooting guard?
  BELOV??? GALIS?? Two dudes who couldn’t make an NBA roster for their lives?
  Oh my god…

• Klav Posted: Sep.22 at 4:00 pm
  @Teddy I got a feeling the ranking for DRose is so high because he produced in the postseason. That’s something that Durant hasn’t done yet. And yeah, I expect Durant to be top 20 easy because he’s about ready for his breakout; Rose showed why he’s a top tier pg in his first playoff game. Maybe that’s why, but then again IDEK. Lets see the voting for transparency.

• Bryan Crawford Posted: Sep.22 at 4:01 pm
  Not sure what I enjoyed more… Adam’s post or random outbursts that make little to no sense at all by Sofoklis Schortsianitis. Still deciding…

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 4:06 pm
  Galis was cut from the Celtics in the 70s because he was so bad. Don’t know who Belov is, never heard of him, I’m sure that says something.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 4:09 pm
  Then again, people who the Greek Dude usually worship, like Vassilis Spanoulis, tend to suck at the biggest moments and get shut down by 18 year olds. And not make an NBA roster.

• Lz - Cphfinest 3 Posted: Sep.22 at 4:22 pm
  Great write up. My only problem is that SLAM like everybody else underrated Manu. 29th? Get real. He’s at least top 25.

• Lz - Cphfinest 3 Posted: Sep.22 at 4:27 pm
  and Greek guy shut your trap, your stupidity are giving us Europeans a bad name.

• rog123 Posted: Sep.22 at 4:36 pm
  Ginobli is has great stats, when healthy, he is clutch, he has played well and won on the biggest stages. Doesn’t seem to be slowing down as far as contributing to a championship team. To me that should be at least 20

• ciolkstar Posted: Sep.22 at 4:36 pm
  Total beast. Probably my favorite of the Big Three…Maybe (gulp) favorite all time Spur? Even I don’t appreciate Tim enough and I lived in SA (or Austin) for 23 years and four Chips and Tony might be “better” than Manu at this stage in their respective careers. But Manu has one of the most creative, unique and devastating styles the league (and international ball) has ever seen. Straight up. Dude is a monster and has no fear. The flopping is a bit much, I agree. But when he’s breaking his ass every play to win a chip for your city, its not hard to overlook.

• rog123 Posted: Sep.22 at 4:40 pm
  I bet if he played on a more “exiting” team, he would def be in top 20 no question. spurs and celtics play the best basketball in the nba 100% TRUE!!!!!!!!

• vmcb Posted: Sep.22 at 4:42 pm
  Oh, man I love Manu Ginobili. When healthy, this guy can score from anywhere on the court with dazzling efficiency. He took a lot of threes when he played last year, but dude can get into the paint and score like the best of him. Here’s hoping he’s back 100% this season.

• rog123 Posted: Sep.22 at 4:42 pm
  *Exciting

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 4:45 pm
  @Klav….:be carefull with who you agree with…
  @Bryan Crawford….:please choose me!!!pleeeease!!!!
  @Jukai….:you write “Don’t know who Belov is, never heard of him, I’m sure that says something.” that says “something” ???? Man, that says implicitly much more than what you’ve ever explicitly posted in this forum (and you’ve posted almost as much stupidity as i have done…). Now, go on and cry to your mama (SLAM) to punish me(ban me) like the rest of your infant friends ( Alllenp,Bryan,tavoris and the rest of the kindergarden). I will stop (just for some time) responding to your insults and answer only bball related comments but let me tell you that some of you better get ready for a rude awakening when you face real life (no “mama&papa” to run for …).

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 4:47 pm
  @rog123….:”spurs and celtics play the best basketball in the nba 100% TRUE!!!!!!!!” exactly.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 5:01 pm
  You’re going to stop?
  Okay, that’s cool man.
  (P*ssy)

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 5:02 pm
  I’d rather have JR Smith on my team than Galis. Dude was a chucker, hardcore, couldn’t make it in the NBA but Europe, especially in the 70s and 80s, loved dudes who could shoot and had no athletic skill.

• Moose Posted: Sep.22 at 5:04 pm
  I hope Andre Iguodala is next. If he isn’t, then he’s the one after that. If he isn’t that one, then this list is wrong. No knock on SLAM if that isn’t true, haha.

• Allenp Posted: Sep.22 at 5:04 pm
  Homie, I specifically asked the moderators not to ban you.
  I know reading comprehension isn’t your best attribute, but try to keep up.
  I hope you never get banned. The more you talk, the more you expose yourself.
  Oh and LZ, only idiots judge an entire group of people by the worst examples. Greek dude doesn’t have the power to make Europeans look bad in the minds of people who actually think.

• Nbk Posted: Sep.22 at 5:05 pm
  Sofolokis if they played the best basketball then they would have won rings. Its called fundamental basketball.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 5:09 pm
  @Nbk…:???????????????????????

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 5:12 pm
  Sergei Belov was actually the shooting guard for the 1972 Munich team, who was suppose to be pretty good, actually. I wont hold it against him that he never made an NBA team because he wasn’t allowed to try. The KGB would have shot him.
  Still, not putting him on a top 10 list. I heard the dude liked to control the ball a lot. Give me Iverson ANYDAY.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 5:13 pm
  I feel Drazen is only really worshipped cause the dude died. Wow, a twenty point season with minimum other statistics. Great.
  Is it just me, or are European shooting guards incredibly unskilled compared to their bigger counterparts? I don’t get it.

• Bryan Posted: Sep.22 at 5:15 pm
  I don’t hope they ban him as much as I wish the rules didn’t come off as such a joke I’m probably closer to getting banned than this tool.

• Nbk Posted: Sep.22 at 5:16 pm
  Spurs and celtics dont play the best basketball there is only one way to judge that and they dont have rings from 2008 – what u or whoever originally said it should have said was the most fundamental basketball. You cant be the best ata game you dont win

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.22 at 5:20 pm
  @Moose…..:SLAM is way to mature to stop loving you cause you maybe have a different opinion on a particular list. Such reactions are reserved for some of the infant (mentally) posters in this forum. Do not hesitate the posters’ habits with that of the mag. Be proud to express your different opinion when you have one. This is how SLAM wants it.

• Bryan Posted: Sep.22 at 5:21 pm
  And I’m aggravated because friends of mine got reprimanded like kids on this site for less aggravating sh*t than this dude says in each of his comments. By the way co sign jukai of drazen, great shooter but he’s more celebrated than he should because he was like the first international player that really broke through, if I’m not mistaken.

• franko Posted: Sep.22 at 5:33 pm
  nice words CIOLKSTAR.
  ” But when he’s breaking his ass every play to win a chip for your city..” MANU plays hard every night for his team or his Country.

• Sarah Posted: Sep.22 at 5:34 pm
  Good read. I’m not sure if there are 28 better players in the league right now, but I’m guessing his recent injury hurt him. We’ll see how it plays out.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.22 at 5:40 pm
  Bryan: that still burns me that Susan reprimanded everyone like that, and more so, that everyone took it. It urks me I got there late and Susan didn’t see my angry response.

• Moose Posted: Sep.22 at 5:55 pm
  SOFOKLIS, I know man haha. I’ve been on here for 18 months, I know how it goes…

• la huey Posted: Sep.22 at 5:58 pm
  Manu goes hard, every game, every play. You have to respect him for that. Outside of the flopping, not sure how non-Stans can hate him

• Rod Posted: Sep.22 at 6:02 pm
  Put Manu on a team without two other superstars and other good role players taking away a lot of attention and then show me “clutch”. Don’t even compare him to Kobe lol

• jdn41 Posted: Sep.22 at 6:18 pm
  so if manu isnt considered a white man what is he? not to get political and all but dude skin is relatively white so saying he’s my favourite white dunker may not be politically correct but what would you want me to say manu is my favourite slighly tanned dunker in the nba :S

• tealish Posted: Sep.22 at 6:32 pm
  This guy’s a true player. Not going to comment on the ranking because it’s too hard to say with the whole “next year’s projected productions” ish.
  But this is a guy, when healthy, just gets the job done. I’m not even surprised by that clutch stat.

• mariano Posted: Sep.22 at 6:32 pm
  Grande MANU!!! simplemente el mejor.Un fans santiagueño

• onlyclipfanonslam Posted: Sep.22 at 6:39 pm
  everyone already said it… when healthy should be around 10-15

• Brad Posted: Sep.22 at 6:45 pm
  So, where does RJ fit on this list?? He will be more important to the Spurs this season IMO. Speaking of former Nets and guys who are going to have big seasons, where does Carter come in? Must be fairly soon.

• Moose Posted: Sep.22 at 6:47 pm
  RJ was listed a while back, Brad. Vince should be in the next few if you ask me.

• Tyncho Posted: Sep.22 at 6:51 pm
  Manu is the number 1!

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.22 at 6:53 pm
  @ ciolkstar: How can a Spurs fan not have Iceman as his favorite Spur? lol your choice, but Iceman is just about the coolest basketball player Texas has ever seen.

• jorgenicolas89 Posted: Sep.22 at 6:58 pm
  I think you could use some of the videos linked below as a memory refresher of how CLUTCH Manu can be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FchrfZ5wA7Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHT5f2-6Y_U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBIJjIE1W9w&feature=fvw

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.22 at 7:04 pm
  Okay, to whichever commenters before:
  Spain is a European nation, the people of Spain are white. Argentina however, is South American. South Americans are not white, most of them are Hispanic/Latino or indigenous South American. There are definitely white people living in South America though, especially descendants from Spain, but they aren’t a majority nor are they a huge indicator of the South American peoples as a general whole. So with Manu Ginobli, I do not know what race he constitutes as just by looking at him, but then again WHO CARES? Basketball is a game beyond the color of one’s skin.

• newjersey devil Posted: Sep.22 at 7:14 pm
  iggy & gerald wallace where they ranked

• ugly_fish Posted: Sep.22 at 7:21 pm
  Who’s overrated EVEN when he’s underrated on this list at No. 29? Why Manu Ginobili of course.

• Moose Posted: Sep.22 at 7:23 pm
  ugly_fish, who in your opinion is the most underrated NBA player?

• kilinkis Posted: Sep.22 at 7:29 pm
  dale manu!

• MC3PO Posted: Sep.22 at 7:57 pm
  Did anyone else see that documentary where Kobe calls Manu a “bad man?” It sounds like Kobe has more respect for Manu than King Bish does….

• Juan Luis Posted: Sep.22 at 8:10 pm
  Manu Ginóbili es un orgullo para el básquetbol argentino. Gracias Manu, acá en Argentina sos el N 1 y allá…, allá nos dejás demasiado arriba. Estamos hablando de la historia de la NBA???Ja!! Sos un animal!! Aguanten los Spurs!! Simpre que juegues vos…obvio..

• Deisler Posted: Sep.22 at 9:22 pm
  Hey man, just to illustrate you, actually almost Argentinas population are as white as Spanish or USA are…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina#Ethnography

• Deisler Posted: Sep.22 at 9:25 pm
  hey man just to illustrate yyou, Argentinian people are so white as the spanish are… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina#Ethnography

• mikeeyy Posted: Sep.22 at 9:30 pm
  top 10-15 when healthy

• Moose Posted: Sep.22 at 9:45 pm
  Joe Johnson’s coming up very soon. And I’m starting to think that Rajon isn’t on here.

• Z Posted: Sep.22 at 9:47 pm
  Actually, a lot of Argentinians have german and italian roots. There’s nothing wrong with saying that Manu is white (!?). Latinos can be white, black or brown. Big Papi is black, isnt he? Can’t believe I actually had to state that.

• Diego Posted: Sep.22 at 9:57 pm
  Wow!! I’m from Argentina, I’m 38, and I’ve never ever dreamed about reading something like this about a player from our country, playing in the NBA. I`ve done nothing to help Manu´s succes, but I don´t know why…I feel proud of this article. Thank you.
  PD: I miss reading SLAM magazine, I used to buy it here in Argentina, but it`s no longer available.

• Pablo Posted: Sep.22 at 10:33 pm
  Way overrated, I can’t believe how ignorant people can be. I used to be a spurs fan before he was drafted and I hate all this Ginobili hype. Go Rockets!!! greetings from ARGENTINA! PS: WAAAAAAY overrated.

• Simmy Sosa Posted: Sep.22 at 10:39 pm
  I’m not trying to offend anybody, but people like Bish, who scoff at the notion that someone could be more clutch than Kobe, they just don’t know ball. Call them casual fans or whatever, but they’ve been spoon-fed this “x player is the best since MJ did it” and they blindly believe it. Here’s the truth. Teams not only respect Ginobili, they fear him. He simply does whatever it takes. Hit the big shot, grab the key rebound, make the game-winning defensive stop (anyone remember what happened to Wade in the open court in SA last year?), whatever it takes. Make no mistake, if Ginobili is healthy when the Spurs play the Lakers, the Spurs win that series and the championship.

• Simmy Sosa Posted: Sep.22 at 10:57 pm
  And another thing, do you really think the Spurs are boring, or are you repeating what people have said since the late nineties. I’m pretty sure a team with TP, Ginobili, Hill, and now Jefferson and Bogans is more exciting than more than 20 NBA teams.

• airs Posted: Sep.22 at 11:12 pm
  i honestly though drose was gonna land the 40 spot after seeing OJ at like 47 or something.
  but, if they are basing it on projected 09-10 seasons, i think drose could be anywhere from 28-17 and it would be totally justified.
  but please. no rondo ahead of him. please.

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.22 at 11:35 pm
  Why shouldn’t Rondo be ahead of Derrick Rose? I see Rose being better than him but Rondo was nearly averaging a triple double in the playoffs… Rose is a much better scorer and a really good passer too, and he’s going to be better than Rondo, but Rajon was insane during the playoffs.

• airs Posted: Sep.22 at 11:43 pm
  personal reasons mostly
  but i just think that drose was able to do as much if not better than what rondo did with much MUCH less of a roster throughout the entire season.
  rose had a crumbling franchise on his back while rondo had the champs so, there’s that.
  also, drose does not give cheap shots to people’s mouths nor does he swing people into score tables. but again, personal conviction

• Pardeep Posted: Sep.22 at 11:47 pm
  This whole Manu underrated things is not true. He got compared to Wade and in this article the writer tries implying that he is better than Iverson and more clutch than Kobe? Wow! hello you ever here the the term First ballot hall of famer?. He is a great player though I would have him start for a bunch of teams. Like the Raptors, Thunder, Pacers, Nuggets, Nets, Knicks, Bobcats, Pistons, Warriors and even the Cavs but he is not underrated. It just feels like he is because he hasn’t played for so long

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.23 at 12:08 am
  To be fair, B.Gordon hit most of the clutch shots for Chicago.
  But Rondo can really get on peoples nerves, like the slap to B.Miller’s face and the cheap hit-then-runaway on Kirk Heinrich.
  Then again, Ray Allen hit most of the clutch shots for Boston, so there’s that.

• airs Posted: Sep.23 at 12:24 am
  yeah, BG and ray ray are kind of a wash from that standpoint.
  i just htink drose, with a squad like rondo’s, would have definitely gone to the chip for another ring.
  even with a squad lesser than rondos.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.23 at 12:35 am
  Pardeep: So he was compared to Wade once in his life and that makes him not underrated? Are you insane?

• Darksaber Posted: Sep.23 at 1:48 am
  Adam, Manu loved your article so much, he gave you a shout out on his Facebook Profile and linked to the story. That’s appreciation right there. Kudos, man.

• Darksaber Posted: Sep.23 at 2:01 am
  As for the story itself, great write-up, Adam. I loved the comparison to GOAT in terms of Achievement on all levels. (turn it around and MJ’s never won a Euroleague MVP, ha!). As a confessed Dirk-o-phile i feel it is my goal in Life to despise the San Antonio Spurs, and for a while, it was an easy achievement. (Kurt Thomas and Bowen on one team, too easy) Then they stole Findog from Dallas (nooo! i luv that guy), Tony Parker gave an interview on French TV two years ago with Eva & his family, impressed the Eff out of me and whoosh the irrational hate disappeared. Plus he put a 55 & 10 on the Wolves, a Stat Line that was one of the top 3 last season and just turned into this unstoppable, offensive machine on the court. Bowen Collector retired. Good riddance. Timmy has always been one of my favorite Sports stars, so quiet yet fiery, so controlled yet look at his eyes on court..dude is burning inside, true Champ. and now they brought in Antonio. McDyess, the rock, old school hair, old school stoism on court, productive even with multiple knee surgeries. Anytime i watch him, i am in awe. McDyess, role model. And of course, the zig zagging, flopping, best friends with Oberto force of nature from Argentina known to all as Manu. Now, this isn’t fair…. how the hell do i continue to generate hate for the Spurs when i damn admire damn near everyone of their players right now? (not you RJ)

• Brad Posted: Sep.23 at 2:08 am
  Manu is not underrated. His game (except for the flopping) is well respected by NBA fans and even more so by writers and broadcasters. International media and fans love him. Everyone is well aware of the fact that he has won championships at in the NBA, FIBA and Olypmics. Because he plays with Duncan, and to a much lesser degree Parker, because he’s an international player, and because he isn’t black, fans of his just tend to think of him as somehow underrated or underappreciated. You can see here in the posts, where so many people are complaining that he is being disrespected and should be (way) higher. The fact is, the majority of NBA fans/writers are in agreement: ‘Manu Ginobili is an awesome player, a winner, who really is underrated’. Does the fact that whenever people talk about him (non-flopping talk) they gush over him, and call him underrated, make him actually overrated? Yes.

• Darksaber Posted: Sep.23 at 2:20 am
  As for the story itself, great write-up, Adam. I loved the comparison to GOAT in terms of Achievement on all levels. (turn it around and MJ’s never won a Euroleague MVP, ha!). As a confessed Dirk-o-phile i feel it is my goal in Life to despise the San Antonio Spurs, and for a while, it was an easy achievement. (Kurt Thomas and Bowen on one team, too easy) Then they stole Findog from Dallas (nooo! i luv that guy), Tony Parker gave an interview on French TV two years ago with Eva & his family, impressed the sh** out of me and whoosh the irrational hate disappeared. Plus he put a 55 & 10 on the Wolves, a Stat Line that was one of the top 3 last season and just turned into this unstoppable, offensive machine on the court. Bowen Collector retired. Good riddance. Timmy has always been one of my favorite Sports stars, so quiet yet fiery, so controlled yet look at his eyes on court..dude is burning inside, true Champ. and now they brought in Antonio. McDyess, the rock, old school hair, old school stoism on court, productive even with multiple knee surgeries. Anytime i watch him, i am in awe. McDyess, role model. And of course, the zig zagging, flopping, best friends with Oberto force of nature from Argentina known to all as Manu. Now, this isn’t fair…. how the hell do i continue to generate hate for the Spurs when i damn admire damn near everyone of their players right now? (not you RJ)

• Darksaber Posted: Sep.23 at 2:23 am
  As for Antonis: “you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contaiiiin him”. (ring a bell, fellas). why so agitated, we all know where he stands and everyone was expecting him to come out in full force on the Manu post, he loves the dude… relax, peeps. Or not, your problem.

• Anton Posted: Sep.23 at 2:30 am
  When I saw how high Manu was in the rankings, I flopped out of my chair and started complaining endlessly.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.23 at 2:57 am
  @Darksaber….:see you in Turkey.(with a full roster this time)

• cb 34 Posted: Sep.23 at 3:02 am
  @ jukai: Sarunas marciulonis was the real manu before manu ever came along. This guy played exactly like ginobili and was just as crafty. Threw his body around and never flopped nor backed down. Too bad his career wasn’t long enough nor did he really get the minutes. It was hard to play on a team with hardaway, richmond, owens and mullin. But this guy was unbelievable and way way better than drazen. He was a lefty too like manu. I don’t understand why this guy was just forgotten but even gp said back in the day he was one of the hardest to guard. Slam should do a piece on him. European players in the league weren’t fashionable back then but this guy was killing it.

• SOFOKLIS SCHORTSIANITIS(down to.... 150 kg!!!) Posted: Sep.23 at 4:18 am
  @cb 34_____: i seriously considered Marciulonis for my top-10 ever shooting guards but i choosed Wade over him with the hope that he develops a consistent 3 in the next 2-3 years… Of course he wasn’t at the level of Drazen cause Drazen is one of the most charismatic bball players ever….he was a much better defender though. Drazen and Sabonis(from 1987-89) are top-10 bball players of all-time.After them comes the 1990-93 Toni Kukoc(think of a 6-11 Larry Bird with hops).

• Dukes Posted: Sep.23 at 4:25 am
  What is the muber of the best player in the best team in the past 6 years? Who had the last ball to play?

• rikson Posted: Sep.23 at 6:19 am
  Manu is 29th ?! And not underrated ?! Cmon…. What weakness does his game have, except his health issues ???? This list is getting more and more ridicolous…..

• crismaxcian Posted: Sep.23 at 7:05 am
  Manuuu¡¡¡¡ esta temporada es tuya¡¡¡ saludos desde Formosa, Argentina

• Benji Posted: Sep.23 at 8:46 am
  Sorry to change the subject, but I feel I have to address the above commenters regarding the race issue.
  I’m English, and I’m going to take an educated guess and say that the people who don’t regard Spanish people or Argentines as white are probably American. I’m not quite sure where white Americans think they originated, but many of them are decended from Spanish people. Some of you seem to confuse Spanish with Hispanic which are two very different races. Another great deal of them are decended from Italians who, for the most part are white. And if you don’t consider Spanish or Italians to be white then there really aren’t too many white Americans! Argentina is not like other South American countries in that a large percentage (86% in fact) of the population is white, having decended from mainly Italy and Spain. Ginobili being an Italian name, I’d say he’s probably an Italian decendant, and hence white. Glad I could clear that up for you.

• horsey Posted: Sep.23 at 10:41 am
  kukoc was a great shooter, but to call him a 6-11 Larry Bird is silly. Very good shooters who can finish around the rim and run the floor while being nearly 7 feet tall is impressive, but Bird could still out shoot toni right now. in street clothes. also, if you insist on commenting on all things all the time (as well as spamming about the euroleague repeatedly) and talking down to other people you should get spell check. seriously. calling someone a “genious” and “amasing” and “intersting” really makes you look less informed than you think you are. which you are. try putting that through the translator…

• tavoris Posted: Sep.23 at 11:14 am
  great comment, horsey

• Allenp Posted: Sep.23 at 12:04 pm
  I’m going to take up for Greek dude on the language thing.
  While his condescension is irksome, I always find it impressive when people from other countries can have conversations in English, particularly since I can’t have a conversation in any other language. So, given the fact that English is not his native language, he gets a pass for effing up some words in my book.
  Back to regular programming.

• horsey Posted: Sep.23 at 12:34 pm
  granted, english is a hard language for foreigners to learn (exceptions, homonyms. the fact that we know it at all is nothing short of a miracle) i’d give him more credit if he was writing a book report in english, but i can’t give him the benefit of the doubt for trying to talk down to an entire online community in their native language. besides, how many times have we seen a message labeled “EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009?” regardless, i’m off my horse about it. just venting some frustration about the double standards of everyone being polite and co-existing together to form legitimate, relevant basketball conversations/good natured ribbing if that person is from another country. read the box below the “Submit Comment” box. tell me SOFO doesn’t do those things.

• Allenp Posted: Sep.23 at 12:58 pm
  No argument with your last sentence, I just wanted to say something on that language thing because I feel like that’s a recurring issue.

• rog123 Posted: Sep.23 at 2:04 pm
  I said earlier bos and sa play basketball the best. I never said they have the best team. However each season they are title contenders. Injuries is the only thing that can stop those teams. Lakers played like trash last year. When u consider the level of talent they have, they should have easily made it to the finals and win.

• niQ Posted: Sep.23 at 4:02 pm
  mos def NOT underrated.

• Franko Posted: Sep.23 at 5:40 pm
  Benji i like your post.

• RM Posted: Sep.23 at 7:41 pm
  GREAT read. Manu Ginobli and the Spurs are going to make a splash this year. Ginobli’s got one of the most diverse games I’ve ever seen.. it’s true how there isn’t one exact way to guard the guy. ps. also gotta give love to shane battier. that boy knows basketball. love the Q.

• ripcity Posted: Sep.24 at 1:35 am
  yep, throw us some statsketball to convince us that this flopper is better than shaq.

• ripcity Posted: Sep.24 at 1:35 am
  yep, throw us some statsketball to convince us that this flopper is better than shaq.

• Adam Sweeney Posted: Sep.24 at 3:53 am
  Hey everyone, the rankings were compiled from every SLAM writer’s top 50. So while I may rank Manu higher, for example, overall the writers put him there. I didn’t get to decide where he was ranked, only why I thought he was a great player. I hope you enjoyed the read. Thanks for taking the time to do so.

• Jukai Posted: Sep.24 at 3:06 pm
  Adam: Why don’t YOU state in your article where YOU thought he should be?

• K.a. Posted: Sep.24 at 3:30 pm
  allenp had some good burns there. Ahem. I love Manu so its a bit late in the game to callhim underrated and totally appreciate his consistency/health being a factor in the rating. But I’d take spurs with Manu over a bron/Kobe led team in a series, no doubt. I love his game. He’ll drive u crazy sometimes but when gets it going its a thing of beauty. I especially love the fact that his game is distinctively non american. I just like that its a different flavour.

• SAG Posted: Sep.24 at 5:08 pm
  Way underrated. he could beat Kobe or Lebron in 1 on 1 any and every day if wasn’t for his injuries. He would be in the top 5 players of all time if Tim Duncan and Tony parker weren’t the leaders.

• Marg Shanks Posted: Sep.24 at 8:21 pm
  I love him. He is what makes me love watching the Spurs play. If I hadn’t been flipping through channels and happened to see some guy make the most amazing moves I’ve seen ever in the game I would still be ignorant right now. He is the best and most passionate player out there and when he leaves the sport so do I cause there is no basketball without Manu Ginobili. Whoever doesn’t agree is lying to themselves and disagreeing purely due to pride. I could not agree with the article anymore and I will never waver in what I say because it is the truth. Manu Ginobili is possibly the greatest all around player who ever lived. Great on the court and off.

• oscar Posted: Sep.24 at 9:37 pm
  If Manu was born in USA he would be in the top 15 pf all time….

• bimbo Posted: Sep.25 at 9:33 am
  i just want to say that MANU IS THE ONLY ONE IN NBA and nobody else.my entire life, in my mind and spirit, MANU GINOBILI THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER OF THE WORLD….FOREVER…

• marianobhi Posted: Sep.25 at 2:03 pm
  manu n0 14??? too low!!!
  He ´s top 10!!!
  Iverson has to play with his own ball, the rest with another ball

• marianobhi Posted: Sep.25 at 2:04 pm
  manu no 29??? too low!!!
  He ´s top 10!!!
  Iverson has to play with his own ball, the rest with another ball

• DallasTX SPURS FAN! Posted: Sep.25 at 3:19 pm
  Manu is sooo unratted. Hopefully we will be healthy to help the SPURS win it all. GO SPURS GO!

• Pablo Posted: Sep.25 at 11:28 pm
  omg wow its so funny reading all these comments of people talking like they actually know stuff
  come on people do a lil bit of reasearch first before you actually say something stupid
  manu- i simply can not think of many players ever to have so much success in a career
  he has won wherever he has been
  oh n he needs tim duncan HAHAHAHA
  2004
  argentina beats usa rather easily in the Olympics
  N GUESS WHAT tim duncan was playing but guess for what team
  oh iverson was playing too in his prime
  not to count only a few playes like a yound lebron a wade and a carmelo
  many gets injured doesn’t play in the playoffs and guess what

• Pablo Posted: Sep.25 at 11:32 pm
  the spurs, tim duncans team, gets knocked out in the first round for the first time since td joined the team
  yep its a fact manu = success = championships of all sorts
  and if manu played the same minutes other superstars do like lebron carmelo he would be in the top in scoring
  yah thats right go check some stats people n stop being so ignorant cuz ur only insulting urself

• Jorge Posted: Sep.26 at 1:43 am
  Manu no esta para un puesto 29, para nada. Es un jugador ganador, de una calidad y vision del juego como ninguno. A mi gusto, uno de los mas completos, pudiendo estar tranquilamente entre los 10 mejores. Pero es algo que lo vemos nosotros, nunca ustedes

• Thomas Posted: Oct.5 at 10:19 pm
  Manu IS underrated, no doubt about it.
  Olympics, NBA and Euroleague several times
  WTF! this guy won EVERY f#cking thing he played for.. (not counting the USA sub-championship with a suspicious final against SCG). Not talking about his efficacy and decisive points in the finals.
  I’m not saying he’s better than Kobe, no way but…
  Where he would be if he was born in USA??, Of course: less than Nº5 on this and any other rank. Period.

• Marcos Posted: Oct.8 at 4:38 pm
  You are underrating him yourself!.
  He is much better than 29th.

• Ty Marion Posted: Oct.19 at 2:47 pm
  Who is the other one that has won a Euro Champ, Gold, and NBA?!? NO ONE. He’s the only one.

• SEANB Posted: Oct.19 at 6:16 pm
  FINALLY, THERE IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS GUY IS. BEFORE HE CAME TO SPURS THERE WERE ARTICLE’S WRITTEN HOW THIS GUY WAS THE MICHAEL JORDAN OF EUROPE AND HE WAS !!!.CHECK OUT U-TUBE ON HIS HIGHLIGHT’S. THEN HE CAME HERE AND HAS 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS,4TH COMMING IN 2010.NOW LAKER FAN’S THE ARTICLE DOES NOT STATE HE BETTER THAN KOBE BUT HE IS AS A BIG CLUTCH PLAYER AS KOBE,THATS WHY HIS RESUME IS FULL OF TITLE’S.KOBE WAS ASK 2 YEARS AGO WHO IS FAVORIATE PLAYER TO WATCH AND HE SAID MANU. WHILE HE WAS FILMING A DOCOMENTARY LAST YEAR WITH SPIKE LEE ON HIS LIFE,DURING A SPURS GAME ,HE POINTED OVER TO THE BENCH TO GINOBILLI AND SAID THAT’S A BAD BOY RIGHT THERE,I TOTALLY RESPECT HIS GAME!!SO IF KOBE IS GIVING PROP TO MANU, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU.THIS GUY WILL BEAT YOU WITH HIS SHOT,PASSING TO OPEN MAN,KEY REBOUND,STEAL IN LAST 5 MINUTES OF THE GAME.I HAVE SEEN HIM DO IT ALL.OH U-TUBE HIGHLIGHTS IS MOSTLY AGAINST LAKER’S. BEWARE MY FRIENDS,THIS SPURS TEAM HAS MORE TALENT THAN ANY OTHER SPURS TEAM IN LAST 10 YRS.THIS TEAM IS WAY DEEPER THAN THE LAKER’S IT TAKE MORE THAN 1 INJURY TO STOP THEM BUT AS ARTICLE SAY, IT START WITH GINOBILLI AND ENDS WITH GINOBILLI.

• Jon Walters Posted: Oct.20 at 5:06 pm
  Manu has the best winning percentage of any current NBA player, both in the regular season and playoffs (via Bill Simmons of ESPN and the Elias Sport Bureau research). Higher than Kobe, of course, but also higher than teammates Tim and Tony. He is the most underrated ATHLETE in any of the major sports. I’ve said it for years and your article points out a lot of reasons why. Thanks.

• James Posted: Oct.25 at 1:24 pm
  Manu is the best actor in the NBA.

• Gaston Posted: Mar.15 at 10:28 pm
  29…it just a number…He doesn´t need that to be one of the best players of the Nba in last 10 years…

• j-flo Posted: Jun.5 at 7:43 pm
  very well written article, manu is definatly the most underated player in the nba. the tear he went on after the all-star break shows how valueble he is to the spurs. also he really does perform well in clutch situations, not only on offense but defense as well. that sick block on durant proves that.

• nikkinicole Posted: Mar.8 at 1:14 pm
  loved it finnally somebody givin props to Manu!HE lead argentina to a gold medal on a team full of super stars!MANU IS DA MAN and Really u cant compare Manu to Kobe! Manu has class!

• nikkinicole Posted: Mar.8 at 1:15 pm
  **against a team full of superstars**