Manu Ginóbili and Tim Hardaway took the most momentous steps of their decorated basketball journeys at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., whether that be by “Euro-step” or the “UTEP two-step,” Ben Golliver writes.
Ginóbili, the Argentine star who won four titles with the San Antonio Spurs, was joined by former teammates Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Tony Parker as well as Coach Gregg Popovich. Duncan, who was inducted two years ago, joined Ginóbili onstage as a presenter as fans cheered and shouted “Ma-nuuu.
Meanwhile, Ginóbili was the face of Argentina’s “Golden Generation,” which won Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. Hardaway, 56, joined his fellow “Run TMC” partners Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, as well as former Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson, in the Hall. The 6-foot point guard joked that Nelson had “lied to every team” during the 1989 pre-draft process by telling them “that my knees were shot” in hopes that Hardaway would fall to the Warriors. Nelson went on to craft a fast-paced, high-scoring offense around Hardaway, who was known for his rapid-fire crossover and scoring acumen.
“You have kept the basketball legacy alive and well,” Hardaway said. “I introduced you to the game we love, and we’re so proud of you. We have so much joy watching you play. You be out there hooping your butt off.”he made during a 2007 radio interview, he thanked Hall Chairman Jerry Colangelo and NBA Commissioners Adam Silver and David Stern for being “men who never wavered in their belief in me even when it wasn’t always popular.