San Antonio Spurs legend, future Hall of Famer, and pioneer of Argentina basketball Manu Ginobili officially announced his retirement from the NBA via Twitter on Monday morning.
Ginobili, 40, was drafted by the Spurs with the 57th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, and averaged 13.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.8 APG for his career. He will be most remembered for his selflessness and craftiness. The two-time NBA All-Star willingly accepted and embraced the Sixth Man role for the Spurs, providing immense depth for the Spurs’ second unit.
Ginobili also had an enormous impact on the growth of basketball in his home country of Argentina, leading them to a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He finished his Olympic career with averages of 18.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.7 APG for Argentina over four Olympic tournaments.
Ginobili spent his entire career with the Spurs, helping them win four championships alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. The trio have now all gone their separate ways, with Duncan retiring in 2016 and Parker signing with the Charlotte Hornets this offseason. Ginobili’s retirement marks the official end to the 20-year dynasty of the Spurs, who will be remembered in history as one of the greatest and most consistent teams of all time.
