http://deadspin.com/manu-ginobili-is-one-of-a-kind-1785151347Ginobili, along with other standouts from the NBA’s second wave of foreign players—Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Yao Ming, others—immeasurably changed the NBA. But Ginobili specifically, with his Euro step, whipped wraparound passes, creativity at the hoop, and swashbuckling defense, injected more creativity and beauty into basketball than almost anybody else. He’s no Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett, but especially given his mixed European-South American heritage, it’s not crazy to think that Ginobili’s impact on world basketball is just as great.
All of this is a prelude to saying that you should try and catch an Argentina game or two at these Olympics—they have a potentially scintillating match against Lithuania that kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET tonight—and read every word of this fantastic Zach Lowe story on Ginobili’s career, the bonds he forged with Argentinian and Spurs teammates, his battles with Gregg Popovich, his quirky interests, and his insatiable drive to win.
