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"I actually liked it" - Manu Ginobili explains why walking away from basketball was surprisingly easy
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- "I actually liked it" - Manu Ginobili explains why walking away from basketball was surprisingly easy
When there is a conversation about the best international players in the NBA, Manu Ginobili has to be mentioned. During his time in the league, he won four titles with the San Antonio Spurs , earned the Sixth Man of the Year award, and was selected as an All-Star twice. He also led Argentina to Olympic gold, beating Team USA in the final and earning MVP of the tournament.
After spending 16 great seasons with one franchise, he decided it was time to end his basketball career. During his time with the Spurs, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. His great performances and loyalty led to his jersey being retired in 2019. Even though many players struggle after retirement and don't know what to do with all the free time, Ginobili was quite happy to begin a new chapter of his life.
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For Ginobili, retirement is an opportunity to explore other things
As with every athlete before retiring, Manu had some thoughts about what to do after. When basketball is the main priority for 40 years, players don't have as much time to relax. As Ginobili described it, during his career, he always had to be careful with everything: what he ate, when to rest and when to take a vacation. Once retirement came, all of that was gone, and Ginobili actually enjoyed it.
" Once I retired and I found myself with all the free time to explore other interests, travel more, spending three months in Argentina instead of 4 weeks, I loved it," said Ginobili, " And to tell you the truth, I was in no rush to come back and do something full time."
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In his conversation with Tony Parker , Ginobili admitted that he likes to spend a lot of time with his family. During the NBA season, it is quite hard to be constantly present. For that reason, Manu tries to use every second he can to spend time with what matters most to him, his family, while also enjoying his hobbies. During this time of the year, Ginobili especially likes to return to his native Argentina and stay active by playing other sports.
" I have a great family; I have a great family in Argentina too. I like traveling," mentioned Ginobili. "I'm actually still surprised that I don't play basketball, you know. I play paddle. I play tennis. I ride the bike."
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Ginobili gave it all to basketball
Rarely has anyone played at the highest level while pushing 40. Manu did. And he wasn't just a random guy on a team; he knew exactly his role. Ginobili sacrificed a lot to be the best he could be, and basketball returned it to him in the best possible way. Ginobili admits he considered himself very lucky.
"I've done it enough. I gave it all I had to the sport. And now I wanna do other things," said Ginobili.
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Ginobili is really one of the players who can say he has won it all. From multiple NBA titles to Olympic gold, Manu achieved what many could only dream of. He was also fortunate enough to avoid any major injuries, and he made the most of that opportunity. Playing at such a high level for so long requires some luck, but it also takes plenty of sacrifice. Ginobili certainly had an incredible basketball journey, and now he can peacefully enjoy everything retirement has to offer.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
