Manu Ginobili has cut through the Pistons defense for almost 27 points a game in the Finals while shooting almost 67 percent. Chris Birck/NBAE via Getty Images
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To date, these Finals have been all about Manu Ginobili. One needed only witness the scene outside the SBC center before Game 2, when a thousand Ginobilis milled about, to understand San Antonio's love affair with the man. There were rowdy young men in Ginobili jerseys, face-painted women in Ginobili jerseys, fat-bellied fathers in Ginobili jerseys leading duckling trails of little boys in Ginobili jerseys. One man wore a shirt that read 'Got Manu?'; another sported a black T-shirt with a giant reproduction of Ginobili's face.

The frenzy has been as fierce among members of the media. While other players conducted one press conference -- or in the case of Rasheed Wallace, none -- Ginobili sat for three. On Saturday's off-day he spoke separately with English-language publications, Spanish-language publications and, finally, Italian publications. Apparently, this has confused some fans. One riding the elevator at the Marriott River Center in San Antonio Monday morning shook his head and said, "Man, that Italian dude is something, isn't he?"

Yes, that Italian dude is something, even if he's from Argentina (he played in Italy). After two days of hashing and re-hashing how to stop him, the Pistons came out in Game 2 with the novel strategy of not guarding him; on the first possession of the game, Tayshaun Prince let him shoot a stand-still 3-pointer, which -- not shockingly -- he hit. Detroit's defense on the very-high pick-and-roll, which Ginobili runs with Tim Duncan at what seems half-court to give himself more room to create, has been equally ineffective. Against most teams, and players, running a big man out at the guard in such a situation can force him to give up the ball. The problem with Ginobili is that he plays the game the way water moves downhill, flowing around obstacles once he encounters them. If he's shown a weakness in the first two games, it's been his tendency to force some passes (his entry passes to Duncan in the post have been atrocious at times), but that's something the Spurs can live with.

It is tempting to say he's a unique player, a new NBA breed, but 16 years ago another such player came into the league. Like Ginobili, he also stood 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. The Los Angeles Times wrote of the man that he "displayed a flashy, penetrating style that would make one wonder whether he's been studying tapes of Nate Archibald." The New York Times said, "he passes well off the drive and is a good left-handed shooter...Whether slashing to the basket or jumping in another player's path to play defense, he almost seems to seek out contact." Donn Nelson put it this way, "Method? There is no method. Rooney goes. Rooney conquers."