SAN ANTONIO — Manu Ginobili is not a young man by professional basketball standards. He is 39. He is bald. He tweets about reading his young children bedtime books, including one written by his friend and former teammate Boris Diaw. (“Good job, Bobo!” Ginobili wrote, referring to Diaw by his nickname.)
With the San Antonio Spurs this season, Ginobili has been — and forgive the suggestion — an almost ornamental presence. He is a link between eras, the team’s swingman emeritus, more instructor than player. He shot 39 percent from the field during the regular season.