NBA: Spurs to retire Ginobili's jersey

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - The San Antonio Spurs will pay tribute to their former Argentine guard Manu Ginobili as his jersey will be retired on Thursday, March 28.

"Be there to welcome the Spurs back home at the AT&T Center on Manu Ginobili Jersey Retirement Night!," Spurs said in a Twitter post on Thursday.

On Thursday evening Spurs will take on Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA match held in San Antonio, where the team will retire four-time NBA champion Ginobili's no. 20 jersey.

The Western Conference team had retired eight players' jerseys in franchise history as Ginobili will become the ninth.

Spurs had honored Bruce Bowen (12), Tim Duncan (21), Sean Elliott (32), George Gervin (44), Avery Johnson (6), Johnny Moore (00), David Robinson (50) and James Silas (13) by hanging their jerseys to the rafters.

In Aug. 2018, Manu Ginobili had announced the end of his 23-year professional basketball career, 16 of them came with the Spurs.

Four-time NBA Champion, Ginobili ended his 16-year career with San Antonio Spurs.

He won the NBA titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. Ginobili was also named All-Star in 2005 and 2011.

Ginobili has appeared in 218 career playoff games at Spurs, where he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3.8 assists in 27.9 minutes.

Before his 16-year spell at Spurs, Ginobili played in Argentina and Italy.

Ginobili has also played for Argentine National Basketball Team from 1998 to 2016 as he led his country to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics held in Greek capital Athens.