Manu Ginobli Says Goodbye to the Olympics

On August 17, 2016, Manu Ginobli announced his retirement from the Argentina Olympic team. After losing to the United States 105-78, Ginobli is centered in an emotional interview where he reflects his career in the Olympics.

“I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to play four times in this type of event,” Ginobli said. “Very successful sometimes. Sometimes, not quite. But anyways competing at the highest level. Enjoying what my team did and taking a lot from it. I learned a lot. It was an unbelievable experience.”

The 40-year-old veteran, who has played on the San Antonio Spurs since 2002, won a gold medal for Argentina against the prestigious United States in 2004. Manu Ginobli’s retirement from the Argentina team could possibly foreshadow his retirement from the NBA. Although there has been no official word on whether his retirement plans include the NBA, it’s safe to say that if he chose to retire after this season, he would do so as an icon.

In his 15 years in the league, Ginobli won four NBA Championships (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), was a two-year All-Star (2005, 2011) and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. Such accomplishments make him a top 50 player of all time. Ginobli was also one of the pioneers of the euro-step, a move that many other players copied and pasted into their own arsenal.

With Tim Duncan also planning to retire after this season, it is sad to learn of the possibility of another San Antonio player planning to retire as well. Tony Parker, the third member in the big three, will continues to play; but at age 34, it’s a certainty that he will be announcing plans to retire in a few years. The big three that once dominated the court as a part of this championship team, will soon walk into retirement. This is the end of this era and the beginning of a new one.

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