'What?!': Manu Ginobili Reflects on Spurs Draft Surprise

When the San Antonio Spurs used the No. 57 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft on Manu Ginobili, the impact their choice would have on their franchise was surely unimaginable.

During Ginobili's enshrinement speech at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he revealed that he was shocked to be selected by the Spurs. He was overseas at the time and wasn't expecting to be selected by a team.

“I thought, ‘What?!’ I could not believe it,” said Ginobili. “I thought it was a mistake. I had zero expectations. Zero.”

Ginobili played 16 seasons during his NBA career despite not joining the Spurs until three years after being drafted. He contributed to four of the five championships the franchise won and earned a pair of All-Star nods and All-NBA nominations.

“The Spurs were one big, strong supportive family for me,” Ginobili said. “So many wins, losses, so many friends, so many incredible experiences.”

When reflecting on the success the Spurs achieved during his time with the organization, Ginobili made clear that it takes a lot of pieces that make a strong unit. Given he was such an unselfish player, he was undoubtedly integral.

“To win a championship and to become a real team, you need a whole bunch of pieces in place,” Ginobili said. “And we had a lot of them.”

Discussing Ginobili's basketball career cannot be only focused on the Spurs. His impact on his native country, Argentina, was incredible. He was the first player from his country to ever appear in an NBA game and led the men's national team to a win over the United States in the 2004 Olympics in Greece.

“The crazy thing about my career,” Ginobili said, “is that, while all this was happening with the Spurs, at the same time I had another career. And it was as nurturing … as exciting and as fun as the one with the Spurs, and it was with my Argentinian national team.”

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