Gregg Popovich: Without Manu Ginobili 'There Were No Championships' for Spurs

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and former Spurs star Tony Parker had high praise for Manu Ginobili as the team retired his jersey following Thursday's 116-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ginobili helped the Spurs win four NBA titles over his 16 years in San Antonio. While Parker and Tim Duncan are generally considered the two best players during the franchise's run of success, Popovich thought Ginobili was just as vital:

Coach Pop Thanks Manu for Making Him a Better Coach and Helping the Spurs Win Championships

01:12

Parker also spoke about the impact the Argentine swingman had on his career:

Ginobili is the ninth Spurs player to have his jersey retired by the franchise, joining Duncan, David Robinson, Johnny Moore, Avery Johnson, Bruce Bowen, James Silas, Sean Elliott and George Gervin.

The 41-year-old was primarily a sixth man for San Antonio. Of his 1,057 appearances, only 349 were in a starting capacity. Being able to bring Ginobili off the bench was a nice luxury, and his selflessness was indicative of the Spurs' team-first philosophy under Popovich.