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Ginobili swats annoying bat in King's game

SAN ANTONIO (UPI) -- Manu Ginobili scored 13 points in the Spurs victory over the Kings, but stole the show with his left-handed hook at a bat that flew near him, officials said.

The bat flew onto the court Saturday during San Antonio's defeat of Sacramento and was shooed away, but late in the first quarter, it came back to bother Ginobili, who swatted at it, KENS-TV reported Monday.

Fans cheered, but on the blog of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Amanda Schinke wrote: "To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one -- with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn. ... We hope that the next time someone's life is on the line, Manu Ginobili will take just a few seconds to think before he acts."

The bat lives, but the Spurs would rather it had died, as then it could have been tested for disease, Tom James, the team's director of media services, said.

Instead, as a precautionary measure, Ginobili has received four shots since the swatting and will receive more shots to prevent rabies, the news service said.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 11/03/2009

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