Currently sitting second in the Western Conference standings, the San Antonio Spurs continue to play strong basketball despite the elevated age of the four-time NBA champions' core group. Manu Ginobili (36), Tony Parker (31) and Tim Duncan (37) have all been mainstays with the defending Western champions for over a decade and even though the trio isn't getting any younger, the Spurs and head coach Greg Popovich continue to perform at a high level in the consistently competitive West. Powers in Oklahoma City, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas remain among the league's best but because of strong veteran leadership and balanced young talent, San Antonio is once again in contention for a conference championship.
While there hasn't been too much to highlight concerning the Spurs other than their unbelievable consistency, veteran guard Manu Ginobili was recently part of an event that left everyone involved speechless. Taking on the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night at the AT&T Center, Ginobili was assigned to defend Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey with San Antonio leading 55-53 late in the first half. Drifting to his left to keep up with his opponent, Ginobili's foot came down in an awkward angle, causing him to go straight through his shoe. His momentum forced the star sixth man to the ground while the sole of the sneaker detached from the upper portion of his footwear completely.
In one of the most bizarre on-court occurrences the NBA has seen in recent time, Manu Ginobili was fortunate no damage was done to his ankle or any other part of his legs. San Antonio went on to win the game 120-110, with Ginobili ending the victory with 16 points and 9 assists after replacing the destroyed sneaker. The Spurs will take on the Charlotte Bobcats in their next outing on Friday, Feb. 28.
WATCH Manu Ginobili's Sneaker Completely Explode During Action
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