For nearly two decades, Manu Ginobili has had hundreds of dinners and countless talks with
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, discussing everything from "politics, war, the game or kids."
Popovich even showed up at Ginobili's door at 1 in the morning with wine to cheer him up after a tough game.
But one dinner above all the "famous dinners" with Pop will forever stand out.
"It was a restaurant by the hotel called Il Gabbiano," the longtime Spurs guard told ESPN. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't forget it."
At a Miami restaurant named seagull in Italian, stunned players were sobbing and looking at one another in disbelief as Pop consoled each Spur.
Earlier that evening, on June 18, 2013, the Spurs were seconds away from celebrating another championship when Ray Allen hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA Finals history.
It was as crushing a blow to the Spurs as any during the Popovich era, as the
Miami Heat won Game 6 in overtime before taking Game 7 and the NBA Finals. Still, Pop stuck to his routine and gathered his team.
"It was almost the championship won," said Ginobili, the pain still audible in his voice nearly a decade later. "[But Pop's] phrase was, 'Win it together. Lose it together. Man's got to eat.'
"So we ate together."
Not even the finest Italian dishes and wine on the Miami waterfront could cleanse the bitter taste of Allen's shot or, for Ginobili, the offensive rebound Chris Bosh snatched over him before finding Allen in the corner for the 3.
A championship slipped away that night. But as players were replaying the catch-and-shoot Allen 3 in their heads, Popovich did what so many of those closest to him say is what makes him the greatest of all time: He's there for friends and players, telling them the truth and sharing that there is more in life than basketball.
"We talked and we basically cried together," Ginobili said. "He went one table at a time with different players and had conversations and tried to cheer us up when we were devastated."
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These other fans don't even understand.


