Chapter 1166 Ginobili Jersey Retirement Ceremony

In the first game in December, the Pelicans' opponent was the Spurs.

The last time the two teams met was in October, when Davis was absent and Tang Tian was limited by the Spurs' double wings and his performance was average.

This rematch is an opportunity for revenge for the Pelicans.

However, it is not an easy task to complete revenge.

The Spurs are getting better and better, with 21 wins and 2 losses so far. They have the same record as the Lakers, ranking second in the Western Conference due to the number of wins and losses.

If we continue to play at this pace, it is really possible that Popovich will complete the 70+ regular season wins that he was unable to complete in the GDP era this season.

Moreover, this game is also played in San Antonio, making it more difficult for the Pelicans to play on the road.

The Pelicans arrived in San Antonio the day before the game.

For Tang Tian, ​​this match against the Spurs is very different from the past.

First, the last game was at the home court of the Pelicans. This was the first time ccx returned to play in San Antonio after becoming the owner of the Spurs.

Second, this is also the first official game in which he plans to shoot a super long three-pointer.

Third, Ginobili will have a jersey retirement ceremony in this game.

That night, Ginobili took GDP, Tang Tian and Green to have a dinner outside.

The last time a group of them had such a big battle was at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

With Ginobili and Diaw retiring one after another last season, everyone who was still playing on the Spurs team is now with the Pelicans.

This is also a good thing, at least they get together and just wait for the Pelicans to play the Spurs game.

"Tim, you should be the assistant coach of the Spurs from now on, so that you can make a living even if the next game is in New Orleans."

Tang Tian joked to Duncan.

Duncan smiled and nodded.

Don't tell me, this is a really good idea.

Popovich has eaten so many meals at his drive-thru, this method can get them all back at once.

Chatting while eating, this kind of dinner is really precious to them.

Parker and Ginobili talked the most.

GDP has played together for more than ten years, and now that both G and D have retired one after another, he must be the most emotional.

"Tony, you're lucky to be able to play with Don at the end."

Ginobili said with a hint of envy.

With so many newcomers on the Spurs team, Tang Tian has the best relationship with their GDP. This is something that Leonard or others cannot compare to.

"No, I don't know if this guy learned it from Tim. He always wants to touch my hair."

Parker immediately shook his head and said.

Tang Tian was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

Duncan and Green also laughed.

Ginobili smiled too.

He felt the most empathy and knew how Tang Tian's habit was "forced" step by step by Duncan.

He is already bald, and Parker will be bald too, which will give him greater psychological comfort.

The next night, the game between the Pelicans and the Spurs started at ATT Arena.

The arena was packed, and many Chinese fans were present.

There are very few Chinese in San Antonio. These people come from Houston, Dallas and even New Orleans to watch the game.

Because of ccx, the Spurs became the first team with a Chinese owner, and therefore have many more Chinese elements.

Not only the scene, domestic fans also paid unprecedented attention to this game.

The last time Davis was away, it was reasonable for the Pelicans to lose.

Now that Davis is back, it's time for the two teams to have a real contest!

An hour before the game started, Ginobili's jersey retirement ceremony was held on site.

ccx, Duncan, Parker, Tang Tian, ​​Leonard, and Popovich were all sitting in the center of the court, lined up on both sides.

The Spurs also attach great importance to this jersey retirement ceremony and brought out all five of the team's championship trophies on site.

After the host's brief opening remarks, the speeches followed.

Unlike Duncan's jersey retirement ceremony last year, Popovich was the first to start the speech this year.

"When Manu first joined the Spurs, I told Tim that this was a great guy. Tim was dismissive. About a week later, Tim was given a warning."

Popovich was still the same, and the first words he spoke made everyone laugh.

"Ginobili forced me to learn to curse. Before I met him, my hair was dark brown. After a year together, my hair was all white."

"At first I would get crazy about Ginobili's unreasonable shots, but then he would lead the team to win and I would just shrug and shut up."

He continued with his witty remarks.

"There are few superstars in the league like Ginobili who sacrifice time to accept substitutes for the sake of lineup balance. Without him, we will not win the championship. I love you, Manu!"

He also confessed affectionately at the end, which elicited a burst of whistles and cheers from the audience.

"I followed the 1999 NBA draft. We selected Ginobili with the 57th pick. I called the coach with a confused face and asked him who was on the menu."

(Note: Manu in English is manu, and menu in Chinese means menu)

The second speaker was Duncan. He also started to get angry just two years after retiring, and he spoke with American humor.

And his speech lasted a full 6 minutes, which was longer than what he said at his jersey retirement ceremony last year.

Duncan was followed by Leonard, who thanked Ginobili for his guidance and help, and then Parker.

"First of all, I must clarify to the Argentinian media and fans. I remember when I first joined the Spurs, you always blamed me for not passing the ball to Manu. In fact, it was Coach Popovich who arranged the tactics, and it was Tim who made crazy shots. But it has nothing to do with the point guard."

"Manu's passes usually have two results, one is a subtle assist, the other is passed to the audience."

"He always likes to try crazy things on the verge of making mistakes, and the terrible thing is that he succeeds every time, which is really enviable."

"My favorite Manu was in 2005. At that time, he had long flowing hair and could do anything. Now that you have lost your hair and magic power, I can only reluctantly love you."

I have to say that showmanship is also a kind of culture. Except for Leonard who has not yet reached his peak, GDP shows off one after another.

After Parker is Tang Tian.

There was a draft meme passed between Duncan and Popovich, and Tang Tian also connected Parker's hair meme.

"I feel the same for Manu. I only stayed at the Spurs for two years and I felt like I lost a lot of hair. He stayed here for 16 years."

"This is all thanks to Tim, 101 head touches."

During the 101 rock tapping theory, Tang Tian also showed off his American humor, making everyone present laugh.

"I was lucky enough to meet Manu during my rookie season. He taught me a lot. He was also the first person to call me 'Godfather' in public."

Tang Tian's last words also attracted bursts of cheers from the audience.

He is now the number one player in the league, and this statement really praises Ginobili very highly.

After Tang Tian, ​​the lights went out, classic photos flashed back, Athens crowned the king, tore the Pistons apart, beat the Suns, dunked Bosh, blocked Harden...

Ginobili took the stage gracefully during the passionate song of Manu, wearing a crisp suit, a tall nose, and a shiny bald head.

Tonight's protagonist makes a grand appearance.

Compared with Duncan's jersey retirement ceremony, his spotlight effect is obviously "better".