Category: In the News

Is Manu Ginobili a Hall of Famer?

ESPN.com asks this question, among others, of a roundtable of its True Hoop bloggers. The answer is a unanimous, “You betcha.”

Not much to add from these parts, except to echo what ESPN.com’s straw pollsters have already said. If the case were based solely on his NBA contributions, Ginobili’s ticket to Springfield upon retirement would be up for debate. Three NBA championship rings, however, are a tough argument to beat.

Throw in Ginobili’s accomplishments on the international stage as the only player in the history of the world to win a Euroleague title, Olympic gold medal and NBA championship, and you’ve got yourself an unassailable Hall of Fame resume.

It could be argued Ginobili deserves inclusion simply for his work as Pied Piper of the upstart 2004 Argentine team that stunned the world and took home gold in Athens.

Incidentally, ESPN.com asks the same question about Tony Parker. The jury there is split with two yeses, two maybes and one nope.

These are the kind of questions we ponder during a lockout.

How to get fender bent by a Mavs fan

Want to show your Spurs pride on your vehicle, but think the half dozen Go Spurs Go flags and the super classy Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili mural covering your back window doesn’t quite make the point?

You’re in luck.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has approved a Spurs specialty license plate. It isn’t yet available for purchase, but is on the , along with plates celebrating the Houston Rockets, Dr Pepper and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Just have to have one as soon as humanly possible?  for more information.

Mahinmi takes verbal potshot at Kobe

And we just thought the rivalry between the World Champion Dallas Mavericks and the former champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, was simmering.

First, we had the dust-up late in the regular season between Jason Terry and Matt Barnes.

Throw in Andrew Bynum’s clothesline and resulting suspension for waylaying J.J. Barea at the end of Game 4 in Dallas’ four-game sweep in the Western Conference semifinals.

And now, even backup Dallas center Ian Mahinmi is getting into the act of throwing dirt on the old champs.

Despite the tumbling reputation of Miami’s LeBron James, Mahinmi told  (hat tip to Hoops Hype.com) that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant remains in a class by himself as the NBA’s most arrogant player.

“Kobe is super arrogant but everybody loves him,” Mahinmi said. “To me, Kobe is more arrogant (than LeBron James).”

Something tells me those comments will be relayed to Bryant between now and the end of the lockout.

And it will just make that first game between the Lakers and Mavericks that much more intriguing and highly anticipated once it ends.