Bird steals NBAer's contract
SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs are one of the classiest organizations in the NBA, so it comes as no surprise that despite all of today's technological advances, they prefer hand-delivering their player contracts.
Of course, with a workforce as globally diverse as theirs, this can lead to some inherent challenges. International flights and necessary travel documents are a must. Apparently, so too is an effective defense against bird attacks.
Manu Ginóbili
Trust me, it will all make sense here shortly.
Per Jere Longman of The New York Times, the Spurs sent an intern to Argentina armed with a new contract for free agent Manu Ginobili. After Ginobili put his signature on the paper, the intern started preparing for his trip home.
That's when disaster struck. Via Longman:
Hours before the Spurs’ intern was to fly home from Buenos Aires, team officials said that he was strafed by a bird in a park. As he tidied up at a fountain, his backpack disappeared. Inside were Ginobili’s signed contract, along with the intern’s passport, cellphone and laptop.
Being the worldwide franchise that it is, San Antonio naturally had another assistant traveling to Buenos Aires shortly thereafter. This person brought Ginobili a new contract, and that one has since been returned and formalized.
As for that original contract, its location is anyone's guess.