Manu Ginobili throws down dunk like no 40-year-old should

Jason Owens
·Staff writer
Manu Ginobili is still producing and showing flashes of his younger self in San Antonio. (AP)
Manu Ginobili is still producing and showing flashes of his younger self in San Antonio. (AP)

Most NBA fans expected Manu Ginobili to retire after last season.

At 39 years old, with four NBA championships and having far exceeded expectations after being selected with the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, there was little left for the San Antonio Spurs guard to accomplish.

But the call of competition and NBA paycheck were still enticing enough for Ginobili to keep lacing them up.

Now 40, he’s providing more than just a veteran presence in San Antonio, producing for a Spurs team that’s needed minutes where it can find them in wake of injuries.

He’s also pulling out moves like this one Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.

That is a a young man’s dunk right there. The only problem is the game’s not on a Thursday night and we won’t be hearing Charles Barkley’s signature Ginobiliiiiiii! scream on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”

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But Ginobili’s not all highlight dunks.

He’s averaging 9.3 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds this season. Those aren’t numbers that will get him All-Star attention, but he’s providing efficiency and production in his 21 minutes per game. Not bad for an old man.