Manu Ginobili announced via Twitter that he will be returning to the San Antonio Spurs for his 14th NBA season.
Ginobili has played for head coach Gregg Popvoich and the Spurs his entire career, winning four NBA championships in the process. The past couple of seasons, he has battled lingering injuries throughout, which have kept his averages lower than usual. Nevertheless, Ginobili was always prepared to make an impact for the Spurs during the playoffs. Since he joined the Spurs in 2002, the team has not won less than 50 games in a regular season. The two-time NBA All-star is a part of the original "big three" in San Antonio made up of himself, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan. The three are a big reason for why the Spurs are known for being historically one of the best teams to ever play.
Last season, Ginobili averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in his usual sixth-man role. The Spurs were a shocking first-round exit as they were defeated in seven games by the Los Angeles Clippers. Next season will again be filled with high expectations especially with the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge via free agency. With the return of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, the big three will remain in tact.
The Spurs were also able to re-sign Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and three-point specialist Danny Green. The off-season moves including now with Ginobili announcing his return, puts the Spurs back into the conversation of being favorites to come out of the Western Conference.
With Tim Duncan at 39-years of age and Ginobili turning 38 at the end of this month, they are determined to bring home one more championship before they hang it up for good. It's scary to think that even at their ages, Duncan and Ginobili are still two of the most effective players in the league. It will be interesting to see if the big three can bring one more title home before calling it quits.