San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili retires after 16 years in the NBA
Last Updated: 28/08/18 10:16am
San Antonio Spurs great Manu Ginobili is retiring after 16 years in the National Basketball Association.
The 41-year-old guard is one of the sport's most decorated international players - having been a four-time NBA champion, a two-time All-Star and an Olympic gold medallist with Argentina.
The likely future Hall of Famer said on Twitter: "Today, with a wide range of feelings, I'm announcing my retirement from basketball.
"It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."
A second-round draft pick of the Spurs in 1999, Ginobili - who did not join until 2002 - played in 1,057 games, averaging 13.3 points and 3.8 assists, and helped the Spurs win NBA titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
He also was a gold medallist with Argentina in 2004 and won the EuroLeague Finals' most valuable player award in 2001.
The swingman, a fan favourite in San Antonio, was under contract for 2018-19, but he said in April that he was weighing up what is next in his career.
"As I've done it the last two or three seasons, I'll sit back, relax and, after two or three months, see if I feel retired or not," Ginobili said.
"I'm not the type of guy who makes decisions on the fly, and when you are upset, hurt or whatever."
Ginobili averaged 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20 minutes per game last season for the Spurs, who were eliminated in the playoffs by eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors.
