The Spurs Re-signed 35-Year-Old Manu Ginobili
Coupling yesterday's signing of Thiago Splitter for four-years, $36 million with Manu Ginobili entering free agency as a 35-year-old, many figured the Spurs Big Three era to be over. Not yet.
Ginobili announced his resigning with the Spurs on his Twitter account:
The terms of the agreement are unknown, much like the services the Spurs can expect. Ginobili averaged 11.8 points per game last season, his lowest since his rookie year.
The 11-year veteran scored 24 points with ten assists in a vintage performance in Game 5 of the Finals to put the Spurs on the cusp of their fifth championship. However, Ginobili averaged 12 points and three turnovers per game in the series, frequently succumbing to Miami's aggressive, trapping defense.
The move is a combination of loyalty and willingness to stay the course. Ginobili has played his entire career in San Antonio and despite his waning production, can still take over games. The Spurs will return largely the same roster next year that put them within seconds of winning the Finals in Game 6.
The choruses of "too old" and "boring" that Spurs supporters hoped would fade will likely only grow louder with this signing. And Greg Popovich, somewhere deep in his soul, is smiling, proud of his team's dynastic mettle.