Manu Has Sold Me: Ginobili Hits Insane 3rd Quarter Buzzer Beater Shot Video

You gotta understand, I loathed the little Argentinian bastard. To a devoted fan of SSOL, Ginobili was the biggest enemy there could be. The constant move to his left. The constant second guessing yourself of whether he’s athletic or not. And the flops. Oh, man, the flops.

So it was difficult to appreciate him, even as he was slicing and dicing his way to championships, a central part of one of the most successful teams of the last decade. And when his health started to go last year, I thought that was it. He was done. Age had caught up with him and lack of athleticism would spell his demise into sad role player shell of his former self. I went so far as to make a bet with Graydon that Ginobili wouldn’t score 30 or more in a game this season. AND I WAS SOBER.

Yeah, that didn’t work out.

But for some reason, maybe it’s the struggles the Spurs are having, no longer the dominant irritant, maybe it’s the new identity of the Spurs, a little less rigid, a little less successful, a little more interesting, if a little lower in the winning percentage department. Maybe it’s just like my realization last year that “Holy crap, Dirk Nowitzki isn’t just “Oh, yeah, he’s good, yada yada yada, not as good as people say he is,” he’s really good. Because that’s what I’ve seen this year with Ginobili. He, more than anyone, including Duncan and Pop, has willed the Spurs to wins by any means necessary. I’ve seen him use the lefty. I’ve seen him hit from the outside. I’ve even seen him use the penetration dribble, hesitation at the elbow, burst to the rack move that’s Parker’s favorite, as if Ginobili has it on loan.

I’ve seen him distribute, driving and kicking with the best of them. I’ve seen him defend, that nagging, irritant, “Oh, hey surprise! You’re in a corner trap and you didn’t even know it!” defense. The Durant block. Man, the Durant block.

And last night, in an abject beatdown of the Celtics, who had just started to get their feet under them, in Boston, Ginobili hit something that finally made it click. I’m a Manu fan. Which means he’ll probably break his ankle in four places in two days. But man, he’s done too much for his career, even if I’ve spent most of it hoping he slips on a banana peel and gets bent. He hit this shot that was so good, I just dropped my sandwich. That is not a euphemism. And I love sandwiches. It was insane. It was ridiculous.

Dude just…

Aw, hell. Watch.

And that’s how you make a convert.

It’s easy to say that’s a dog shot. But how many do we see a year? Some guys in the league? They can do this. They can hit leaning, running, one-handed, fading mid-court shots as the clock expires. And he could do it for the win, he could do it in a preseason game. He could do it in summer league. Manu’s a machine, and I’m glad I get to watch the end of his career with an appreciation for a guy that is as singularly unique in style, performance, and ability as anyone in league history.

Long live GINOBILI!