Manu Ginobili Announces his Retirement after playing 16 Seasons with San Antonio Spurs. Ginobili was drafted in the year 1999 in the second round pick 57 by the San Antonio Spurs, but he officially joined San Antonio Spurs in the year 2002. Manu Ginobili who celebrated his 41 birthday last July 28, make him the oldest player in Spurs franchise.
Ginobili, who helps San Antonio Spurs franchise to win 4 of 5 NBA titles excluding the year 1999, Ginobili together with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker named as “San Antonio Spurs Big Three” help San Antonio Organization a model in the NBA with their passing ability and sharing the ball consistently. Ginobili’s stint as Spurs with 4 NBA titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and one of the leader of the franchise will surely remember by the San Antonio organization.
Manu Ginobili is also the 2007-2008 Sixth Man of the year after he averaged a career-high 19.5 points, including 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
In Ginobili’s 16 seasons as Spurs, he never missed the playoffs and his team never won fewer than 50 games, excluding the 2017-2018 seasons in which Spurs only finish 47-35 an got eliminated by Golden State Warriors in the first round. Despite the lockout season in the 2011-2012 season with 66 games per team San Antonio Spurs finished with 50-16 as the number 1 seed in the West, Ginobili’s average that season was 12.9 points per game.
Ginobili posted in his official twitter earlier today with a caption below:
“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball. IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It’s been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams.”
End of a Dynasty “Big 3 of Spurs”
With his retirement San Antonio Spurs “Big Three” will surely miss as two of their key Player already hang up their Jersey, Tim Duncan, who already retires last 2016 and now Ginobili, the only remaining is Tony Parker but Tony Parker will play in another uniform in the next 2 seasons as he already signed to a 2 year deal with the Charlotte Hornets. The trio help San Antonio Spurs to win 4 NBA Titles together in just 12 year span from 2003 to 2014.
San Antonio Spurs will now start their 2018-2019 seasons without their 3 key players. Will San Antonio Spurs continue their playoffs streak, currently Spurs had the longest playoff streak in NBA with 20 straight seasons.
Source: Wikepedia, Basketball Reference, Twitter
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