Talk about turning back the clock. 39-year-old San Antonio Spurs living legend Manu Ginobili forgot about his age in the closing moments of his team’s Game 5 overtime showdown with the Houston Rockets, blocking MVP hopeful James Harden to seal the victory for the black-and-white Texas squad.
It wasn’t just the block for Manu on Tuesday night; his 12 points helped the Spurs survive the loss of its best player, Kawhi Leonard, to a second-half ankle injury. In his 15th postseason appearance, Manu has been relegated to a bit player as the Spurs moved on from their Big Three era (which consisted of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Ginobili), but he can still step up as he did against the Rockets, doing just enough to help his side escape with a victory that puts them one game away from the Western Conference Finals.
On that note, it was the Harden block that truly put an exclamation point on a vintage performance from the Argentine, who may or may not be in his last NBA season but who can still decide games in ways that not many players can. After his instantly iconic rejection, Twitter went wild, as it does, with memes and reactions deep into the night. We’ve collected the best of the best, from alternate history Photoshops to jokes about his charming bald spot.