San Antonio Spurs' Ginobili retires from basketball

San Antonio Spurs' Argentine veteran shooting guard Manu Ginobili, 41, announced his retirement from basketball on Monday, ending his 23-year career that included four NBA Finals wins.

San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili reacts after a shot against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX, USA on Apr 9, 2018. [Photo: IC]

Ginobili wrote on social media,"Today, with a wide range of feelings, I'm announcing my retirement from basketball."

"Immense gratitude to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."

During his career, Ginobili competed in 1,057 games, averaging 13.3 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.32 steals.

Since coming to NBA in 2002 from Italian team Virtus Bologna, Ginobili has helped Spurs win four NBA titles and was selected for the All Stars in 2005 and 2011.

Ginobili and LeBron James are the only two players to have collected at least 3,000 points and 300 three-pointers in the NBA playoffs.

As for the national team, Ginobili played a key part in Argentina's gold medal win at the 2004 Athens Olympics.