Ginobili returns for 16th season
As the clock ticked down on the San Antonio Spurs’ season and Manu Ginobili was pulled from the game, a thunderous roar from the home crowd guided him to the bench.
Ginobili wore an appreciative but quizzical look on his face as he put a warm-up shirt back on and prepared to head off into the summer. Clearly, the fans were saying goodbye to one of the most popular players in Spurs history. Ginobili was not ready to do the same: The Argentinian posted a message on his Twitter account Wednesday that he is re-signing with San Antonio for another season, which will be his 16th with the Spurs.
Ginobili averaged 7.5 points and 18.7 minutes per game last season. In 15 seasons with the Spurs, he ranks in the top five in franchise history in points (13,467), games (992), assists (3,835) and steals (1,349). Griffin returns to Clippers: Blake Griffin was back in his usual place, front and center on a Clippers stage.
After opting out of his contract, Griffin didn’t spend the off-season toiling over whether to sign with another team — like his teammate DeAndre Jordan famously did. For Griffin, it was an easy decision to sign a max fiveyear deal to stay with the only NBA team he’s played for in his sevenyear career.
“I want to say how excited I am to be back. This has been my home since I was drafted. A lot went into this decision,” Griffin said Wednesday. “In the end, I realized this was a no-brainer for me. This is the place where I want to start and finish my career.” Crawford picks Timberwolves: After meeting in the NBA Finals for three straight seasons, the Warriors and Cavaliers were in another duel this summer when both came calling for Jamal Crawford.
To the surprise of many, Crawford chose the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
The veteran guard says that playing time and fit both were things he looked at when choosing a team that has not made the playoffs in 13 seasons. But he also says he didn’t want to go ring chasing, even at 37 years old.
Crawford signed a twoyear deal worth that will pay him more than $4.2 million this season.