SAN ANTONIO — In the final game of his 15th season, Manu Ginobili — the league's most legendary bench player — was put in the starting lineup for the first time in four years. It felt like a tip of the cap and an acknowledgment of the end, a salute to the fans more than a strategic advantage.



But Manu, then 39, balled out on the Warriors in Game 4 of 2017 Western Conference finals at AT&T Center, putting up 15 points and seven assists as the shorthanded Spurs clawed to stay alive after falling behind 3-0 in the series. They couldn't. The Warriors were too much. They swept them with enough dominance that the game had been decided before the final few minutes.



So at the 2:25 mark, Gregg Popovich subbed Ginobili out, presumably for the final time. The crowd rose for a loud, extended standing ovation, many in Argentine Ginobili jerseys. Kevin Durant turned and clapped in unison with the fans. Steph Curry, at the free-throw line, stepped back and...