Spurs ace Ginobili retires from NBA
LOS ANGELES: San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili confirmed his retirement from basketball on Monday ( Tuesday in Manila), bringing down the curtain on a 23-year career that included four NBA Finals victories.
The 41-year-old Argentine star, widely seen as the most successful foreign player in the history of the NBA, confirmed his retirement in a brief posting on social media.
“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball,” Ginobili wrote.
“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.”
The veteran shooting guard was a key part of the San Antonio teams, which won four NBA crowns between 2003 and 2014 after he joined the league in 2002 from Italian team Virtus Bologna.
As well as the four NBA titles, Ginobili was twice selected for the All Stars, in 2005 and 2011.
He also helped Argentina score a shock gold medal victory at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
He is one of only eight players in history -and the only non-US born player -- to have won four NBA championships and an Olympic gold.
Ginobili’s retirement signals the final end of an era at San Antonio where he was a key pillar of championship-winning teams alongside Tim Duncan (retired) and Tony Parker, who left the team last month.
Tributes to Ginobili quickly swept across social media following his retirement.
“Congratulations on one helluva career brother!” LeBron James wrote on Twitter. “It was a pleasure to match up against you over the years. Regular season, Finals, National Team, didn’t matter was always a treat! God bless you, thanks for the playing the game the right way.”
The NBA said in a posting on Twitter signed by commissioner Adam Silver that Ginobili was “a pioneer who helped globalize the NBA ... one of basketball’s greatest ambassadors.