NBA News: Spurs retire former Swingman Manu Ginobili’s Jersey #20

Manu Ginóbili shooting free throw in 2010 game against the Nuggets. By Zereshk – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https commons.wikimedia.org

FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Emanuel David Ginóbili Maccari (English: /ˈmænuː dʒɪˈnoʊbli/Spanish: [ˈmanu ʝiˈnoβili]Rioplatense[- ʒiˈno-]; born 28 July 1977) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Over a 23-year professional career, he became one of only two players (along with Bill Bradley) to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. A four-time NBA champion, Ginóbili was a member of the San Antonio Spurs for his entire 16-year NBA career. Along with Spurs teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, he was known as one of the “Big Three“. He is often credited for popularizing the Euro step in the NBA. Since September 2021, Ginóbili had been appointed as special advisor to Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs.

Ginóbili comes from a family of professional basketball players. He spent the early part of his career in Argentina and Italy, winning several individual and team honors. His stint with Italian club Kinder Bologna was particularly successful; he won two Italian League MVP awards, the EuroLeague Finals MVP, and the 2001 EuroLeague championship and Triple Crown.

Selected as the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Ginóbili joined the Spurs in 2002 and soon became a key player for the team. In addition to his four NBA championships, Ginóbili was named an All-Star in 2005 and 2011 and was selected twice for the All-NBA Third Team. In 2007–08, he was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Ginóbili announced his retirement from the NBA in August 2018. In April 2022, he was announced as a first ballot inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

POST-PLAYING CAREER

On 24 September 2021, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they had appointed Ginóbili as Special advisor to basketball operations.

On the 10th of September 2022 Ginóbili became the 12th player to have played for the San Antonio Spurs franchise to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ginóbili however is one of only four Spurs players to be inducted who played exclusively for San Antonio for their entire NBA career the others being fellow 2022 inductee George KarlDavid Robinson and Tim Duncan. Former teammate Tim Duncan presented Ginóbili at the HoF ceremony. Ginóbili joins fellow 2022 inductee George Karl as being one of only five players of the twelve elected to the Hall of Fame to play five or more seasons with The Spurs the others being George Gervin, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson.

(Photo by Sean O’Reilly)

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