GINOBILI SET TO RETURN FOR SPURS: REPORTS

Los Angeles, July 18: San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili is poised to return for a 16th season with the NBA giants, reports said on Tuesday.

The Argentine star, who turns 40 later this month, had hinted he may retire after the Spurs were downed in the Western Conference finals by Golden State last season.

However ESPN reported that Ginobili, a veteran of four NBA championshipwinning Spurs teams, was finalising terms on a new deal for at least one more season.

Ginobili has played the entirety of his NBA career with the Spurs, encompassing 922 regular-season games and 212 postseason appearances.

He has averaged 13.6 points per game with 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in regular-season play.

Johnson dazzled

by Ball magic Magic Johnson believes Lonzo Ball’s dazzling performances in the Las Vegas Summer League are a shape of things to come as the Los Angeles Lakers attempt to regain former glories. Ball, chosen by the Lakers with the second overall pick in the draft, was named MVP of the summer league after posting two triple doubles and recording four games with 10 assists or more.

The 19-year-old’s performances rewrote the record books in the summer league. Until this year, no rookie had posted more than one with 10 assists and no rookie had completed more than one triple double.

According to Johnson, that bodes well for the Lakers’ future. “If he’s getting triple-doubles in the summer league, he is going to get triple-doubles in the regular season,” Johnson, the Lakers president of basketball operations, said on Tuesday.