Nowadays, the sixth-man role has become essential in the NBA, with teams relying on these players to make a significant impact, rather than just maintaining the game while starters rest.
The modern blueprint for this role was established by Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams. These guys set the standard as elite scorers off the bench and won six Sixth Man of The Year titles between them. But even Crawford admits there's more to being the first guy off the bench than just putting up points. He acknowledges San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili as the perfect example of a sixth man who brought something unique to the role — and was the most impactful in that position.
“Manu is going to trump anyone because of the ring,” Crawford expressed on “The Underground Lounge.”. “[...] He won the rings, if they say he’s the best player, it’s cool. But the reason why I tip my hat to him is it’s a different thing when got to figure it out every single time, every single place. And with him he don’t even know this… he kept me up at night, he was the only sixth man that I was like fearful.”
The greatest sixth man?
Ginobili redefined what it means to be a sixth man. He was a key piece in the Spurs' dynastic run that spanned over a decade. He wasn’t just a scorer coming off the bench; he was a multi-dimensional player with the ability to get a bucket and make plays for others. His versatility made him invaluable to head coach Gregg Popovich, who could count on the Argentinian to step in at any time and deliver whether the team needed a shooting guard alongside Tony Parker or a steady playmaker to run the offense.
Manu may not be top-tier like Tim Duncan or Parker on the Spurs’ legends list, but he had an impact that was felt in the NBA. One of those moments came in the 2005 NBA Finals when San Antonio faced off against the defending champion Detroit Pistons . After struggling in Games 3 and 4, the Argentinian stepped up when it mattered most. In the do-or-die Game 7, he scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. His clutch performance was crucial in pushing the Spurs past the Pistons, securing their third title in seven seasons. Although Duncan was named the Finals MVP, Ginobili made a strong case for the award, averaging 18.7 points and 4.0 assists, proving just how vital he was to the team’s success.
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The sixth-man culture influence
Not every basketball prospect sets out to be a star-caliber role player. However, only five players can start a basketball game. This means embracing your role is the only way to be successful. Players like Ginobili, Williams, and Crawford redefined this term in the NBA and changed the mindset that bench players can’t create their own legacy.
“I think we push it forward for the culture,” Jamal continued. “In our community, I’m in gyms all time, he [Lou] is as well. There are kids that come, ‘Man, I want to be a sixth man like you and Lou.’ So our culture, which used to be frowned upon at the end, it’s all that matters.”
Ginobili took the sixth-man role to another level. The two-time NBA All-Star and 2008 6MOTY played with a timeless flare. He’s a four-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and a basketball Hall of Famer. The Spurs wouldn't have ripped off a dynasty without his savvy and playmaking off the bench. As Parker said during Manu’s jersey retirement in 2019, “You were such an inspiration to me every day. It was just contagious.”
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