Manu Ginobili, a 4-time champion with Spurs, retires at 41

Manu Ginobili retired at age 41 Monday after a “fabulous journey” in which he helped the San Antonio Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.

The left-handed guard had a pro career that lasted 23 seasons in all, starting with stints in Italy and his native Argentina. He came to San Antonio in 2002 and formed what was a “Big 3” with the Spurs, alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

That era is now officially over: Duncan has been retired, and Parker elected this summer to sign with the Hornets.

Ginobili, the No. 57 pick in the 1999 draft, averaged 13.3 points and 3.8 assists in 1,057 regular-season games. He was a two-time All-Star and was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2008.

Ginobili leaves as an absolute Spurs legend: He teamed with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich for 135 playoff wins, the third-most for any player-coach combo in NBA history.

The only two with more? Popovich and Duncan won 157, and Popovich and Parker won 137.

And Ginobili, even though he was often coming off the bench, has a resume of postseason production like almost no one else in NBA history. Only two players have more than 800 rebounds, 800 assists and 300 3-pointers in their playoff careers: Ginobili and LeBron James.

Ginobili’s final game was April 24, when the Spurs were ousted from the Western Conference playoffs by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. San Antonio lost the series 4-1.

NFL

JAGUARS WR LEE RULED OUT FOR SEASON » The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without their top receiver for the second straight year.

Coach Doug Marrone says Marqise Lee will have season-ending knee surgery and be placed on injured reserve.

Lee, who led the team in receptions in 2017, was carted off the field Saturday night after Falcons cornerback Damontae Kazee delivered a helmet-first hit to his knee. Lee fumbled on the play, but it was overturned because Kazee was flagged for leading with his helmet.

Tests confirmed what everyone in the stadium expected after seeing Lee’s knee buckle: The injury was severe.

It’s the second time in as many years that it’s happened to Jacksonville.

The Jags lost No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson to a knee injury in last year’s regular-season opener. Robinson signed with Chicago in free agency.

College football

UCLA BARS SIX PLAYERS FROM OPENER » UCLA has suspended six players for unspecified rules violations for its season opener against Cincinnati.

Chip Kelly is making his debut as UCLA’s coach on Saturday. He said Monday if “you do something wrong, there’s a punishment that’s involved in it.”

Offensive lineman Boss Tagaloa and tight end Devin Asiasi are suspended three games each, and running back Soso Jamabo is suspended for two games. Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, defensive back Mo Osling and defensive lineman Moses Robinson-Carr will not play in the opener.

Jamabo rushed for 446 yards and a team-high six touchdowns last season, but the senior has not met expectations. He came to UCLA with as a five-star recruit and a marquee signing by former coach Jim Mora.

Odighizuwa is the younger brother of former UCLA defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa. Last season, he played as reserve as a redshirt freshman.

MISSISSIPPI STATE QB SUSPENDED FOR OPENER » Mississippi State senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald won’t play in Saturday’s season opener against Stephen F. Austin because of a “violation of team policy.”

First-year Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead made the surprise announcement Monday. Moorhead did not elaborate on the reason for Fitzgerald’s suspension, saying only that the violation occurred last spring.

The suspension delays the return of Fitzgerald, a third-year starter who suffered a gruesome dislocated right ankle in last year’s Egg Bowl. Sophomore Keytaon Thompson will start in Fitzgerald’s absence.