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But Harper said he has spent considerable time receiving words of wisdom from Ginobili, an Argentinean who works for the Spurs as a special advisor and has his No. 20 jersey retired with the franchise. “I talk to him the most,” Harper said of Ginobili. “More about just the game and the speed and just how he adapted to it from a FIBA standpoint to coming over here. What was his biggest changes being a player and being professional outside of basketball? What kept you locked in? Just all little things I think that every NBA player goes through. … “I’ve hung out with Ginobili every day since I’ve been here. I’m just picking his brain and just asking him questions. From past players to coaches, everyone is involved in it. Everyone comes back.”
StatMuse: Obi Toppin off the bench: 20 PTS 6 REB 2 STL 4-7 3P The first bench player since Manu Ginobili with a 20/5/2s game in the Finals.
StatMuse: Bench players with a 25-point game in the Finals this century: — Jason Terry — Manu Ginobili — Bennedict Mathurin Great company.
StatMuse: Fun Fact: Cason Wallace has the highest plus/minus (+140) by a bench player in a playoff run since Manu Ginobili in 2014. pic.x.com/eUYeVp7BtT
At a Miami restaurant named seagull in Italian, stunned players were sobbing and looking at one another in disbelief as Pop consoled each Spur. Earlier that evening, on June 18, 2013, the Spurs were seconds away from celebrating another championship when Ray Allen hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA Finals history. It was as crushing a blow to the Spurs as any during the Popovich era, as the Miami Heat won Game 6 in overtime before taking Game 7 and the NBA Finals. Still, Pop stuck to his routine and gathered his team. "It was almost the championship won," said Ginobili, the pain still audible in his voice nearly a decade later. "[But Pop's] phrase was, 'Win it together. Lose it together. Man's got to eat.' "So we ate together."
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A championship slipped away that night. But as players were replaying the catch-and-shoot Allen 3 in their heads, Popovich did what so many of those closest to him say is what makes him the greatest of all time: He's there for friends and players, telling them the truth and sharing that there is more in life than basketball. "We talked and we basically cried together," Ginobili said. "He went one table at a time with different players and had conversations and tried to cheer us up when we were devastated."
Popovich, the consoling and compassionate mentor, surpassed Don Nelson on Friday in San Antonio's 104-102 win over Utah for the title of the NBA's winningest coach with 1,336 wins. The victories are a testament to the 73-year-old's ability to adapt to a constantly changing game and to nurture relationships, and his Belichickian longevity of success. Many of those in the Popovich orbit talk about his uncanny ability to put things in perspective no matter the circumstances. "One of his phrases that we've heard many times is, 'If this is the worst thing that happened to you in your life, you got a very lucky, blessed and fortunate life,'" Ginobili said. A year after that dinner in Miami, the Spurs beat the Heat 4-1 to win their fifth championship. "He demands the most out of you," said Ginobili, who spent 16 seasons with the Spurs. "The thing that makes him great was the day after, or once it happened, a couple hours later, the following day or even on Christmas Day [at his house], you think that he was pissed, upset, disappointed at you. "And then all of a sudden you are drinking wine and talking. Like [whatever happened in the game] didn't happen."
Stephen Curry becomes Top 10 scorer in playoffs history after passing Tony Parker
Jorge Sierra: Stephen Curry passed Tony Parker in playoff scoring and is now No. 10 in NBA history. He also moved ahead of Russell Westbrook for No. 20 in assists. Also: Kawhi Leonard passed Manu Ginobili is points for No. 26 all-time.
Stephen Curry is also going to speak about Klay Thompson before the game. Where do you rank that partnership in NBA history? Thompson: “That’s one of the greatest partnerships ever. You can compare it to peanut butter and jelly. They’re one of the greatest duos of all time. No question about it. They won four championships together. You have to win championships together to be compared to Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan or to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. They are definitely in that category or that conversation.”
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Rudy Gay on retirement: 'I'll always be grateful to Mike Miller'
From there, it was years of learning from some of the best. There were so many players who were kind enough to pass along some of their expertise. Way too many to name. But I’ll always be grateful to Mike Miller for showing me how to put in work. How to hone your craft through consistent and focused training. Mike was a maniac with that stuff, and if you were around him enough you couldn’t help but to have it rub off. Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili were two other guys I absolutely loved. They’re both tireless competitors, and Patty is literally the most optimistic, positive person I’ve ever met. Darrell Arthur, too, another Memphis guy. Did all the little things, the dirty work. He had a huge impact on me. Then there’s Chris Paul, my friend and also one of the most competitive people I have ever met. I remember us not talking for years over a playoff series! And Kyle Lowry. Kyle is one of my best friends in the entire world, going all the way back to middle school. So, it was awesome to be able to suit up and play in NBA games with Kyle.
For Curry, passing to Thompson for a 3 was unmatched. His 622 assists on Thompson 3-pointers is the most by any duo in the past 25 seasons, according to ESPN Research. Green's assists on 611 3-pointers to Curry is second. "You develop that chemistry over so many years and battles," Curry said. "The lights of the brightest in the playoffs and championships, we earned that level of trust in chemistry and expectation that if we got out there, if we were healthy, we had a chance to beat anybody. It's a great feeling every time you got on the court. In the history of the league, it's very rare that you get a core of three that stay together that long. "The Spurs [trio of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are] probably up there, but just thinking about how iconic that trio, what we were able to accomplish. We wanted to keep it together for ... forever."
Matt George: Mike Brown compared Malik Monk to Manu Ginobili as a 6th man. Mike talked about Manu clearly being one of the best players on the Spurs, but Pop brought him off the bench because it was what gave the Spurs the best chance to win. Mike didn't say that he wouldn't start Monk.
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