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The legacy of the San Antonio Spurs continues to roll along, as Wednesday night’s win over the Charlotte Hornets marked yet another historic feat for two of the franchise’s most established players. The 119-114 victory was the 619th career win shared by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, which places them in the top 5 winningest duos in NBA history.
Much like the 618 wins beforehand, both players contributed in their own ways to the Spurs win, which improved their record to 12-3 and continued their unbeaten start on the road this season. Parker finished with 11 points for the night, 3 of which came in the dying seconds of the game as his clutch shot from the corner sealed the win. Though the Frenchman struggled for most of the contest, his ability to come through for the team late on is a symbol of the winning mentality that has been built as a result of the historic wins shared by him and his Argentinian teammate.
Ginobili, meanwhile, had a quiet night, scoring just 5 points. It’s been the story of the year so far for the 39-year-old as he finds a way to make positive differences, like defending a fourth quarter inbounds play so well that the Spurs forced a five-second violation to regain possession and stall Charlotte’s comeback.
If more proof was needed of just how monumental their feat is, the 619 wins together has moved them ahead of the Boston Celtics legendary duo of Bill Russell and Sam Jones, who won 10 NBA Championships together.
It’s not a surprise this magnificent accomplishment came on a night when other noteworthy news such as Kevin Love’s 34 point 1st quarter performance against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State’s blistering 149-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers were celebrated across the league. How appropriately Spurs-like that such a feat escapes the limelight, as both Parker and Ginobili focus their attentions on picking up win number 620 against the Celtics on Friday.