:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46644338/usa-today-8511361.0.jpg)
Manu Ginobili has announced that he will be back for the 2015/15 season:
Happy to announce that I'm coming back next season. #gospursgo #TDwouldvemissedmetoomuch.
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) July 6, 2015
Ginobili was flirting with retirement since the end of last season and said he was going to take his time and see if he still had the energy to go through the grind of an NBA season. It looks like the rest he had following the Spurs' early elimination, Duncan coming back and the Aldridge addition were enough for him to recharge his batteries and decide to return for his 14th year in the league.
Ginobili has taken a smaller role in recent years, playing 23 minutes per game last season and becoming more of a facilitator than a scorer. Despite a clear decline in his overall skills, lineups featuring Ginobili continued to do well. His next level passing keeps the ball moving and he's still good for the occasional scoring outburst. Manu is not the star he once was anymore, but he is still a very valuable player, especially in a Spurs' second unit that relies on him to be the primary ball-handler and playmaker.
Ginobili, who will be 38 years old soon, is a living legend at this point, having won four NBA titles, a Euroleague championship and an Olympic gold. He will have one more year to continue to add to his Hall of Fame resume and we'll have another chance to enjoy his wizardry.