At one point during the Spurs’ 96-85 win over the Hawks, Manu Ginobili collided with an opposing player while cutting to the basket, staggering temporarily before turning back to the three-point line to receive the ball. It was relatively pedestrian contact — especially for a player, like Ginobili — and yet I grimaced, because one can’t help but react viscerally as number 20 pings his quadrigenarian body around the floor.
This is especially true when sitting in the AT&T Center, where the collective heartstrings of some 18,000 people are perpetually tethered to his actions.