Manu Ginobili, 41, has announced his plans to retire from the NBA after a 16-year career. Ginobili spent his entire playing career with the San Antonio Spurs helped them win four NBA Championships during that span. Ginobili is expected to take on an office role in the San Antonio Spurs organization for the upcoming NBA season.
Ginobili’s professional career spanned a total of 23 years with stops in Italy and Argentina before his NBA career. He joined the Spurs organization prior to the 2002 season and created a “Big Three” with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Ginobili was named Sixth Man of the Year after the 2007-08 season and was selected to two NBA All-Star teams during his career.
The native of Argentina played in his final NBA game on April 24, when the Spurs were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.
David West Set to Retire
Veteran forward David West announced his intent to retire from the NBA after a 15-year career. West spent the last two seasons as a member of the Golden State Warriors and helped the team to back to back NBA Championships. West was named to two All-Star teams during his playing career.
The New Orleans (Charlotte) Hornets drafted West with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 draft. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Hornets before signing with the Indiana Pacers. West spent four seasons with the Pacers, and they were one of the top competitors to LeBron James in the Eastern Conference. He played with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2015-16 season before deciding to play the last two years of his career with Golden State.
Oklahoma City Thunder Parting Ways With Singler
The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to part ways with Kyle Singler, according to reports surfacing on Friday. The Thunder will exercise the waive and stretch provision in an effort to save on their luxury tax hit for next season. Singler was the number 33 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2011 NBA Draft.
He was traded to the Thunder during the 2014-15 season and signed a five-year $25 million deal in the summer of 2015. Singler has appeared in just 112 of a possible 246 games since joining the Thunder. The former Duke University star averaged just 3.1 points per game and 1.8 rebounds per game during his Thunder career.
Hayward, Irving Ready For Celtics Camp
Boston Celtics stars, Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving will reportedly be ready to begin practice when training camp opens up on September 26. Both players saw their 2017-18 seasons end prematurely, but both appear healthy enough to begin the season. Hayward missed 81 games last season after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in the season opener. Irving was forced to miss the final 22 regular season games with left knee issues.
Despite both All-Stars missing time, the Boston Celtics were able to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. With LeBron James heading to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics are projected to be the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.
Atlanta Hawks Set To Open State Farm Arena
The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Insurance Company have reached an agreement for the naming rights to the newly renovated arena. After the $192.5 million renovation the Hawks will change the name of Philips Arena to State Farm Arena prior to the start of this season. The deal is for 20-years.
The Hawks plan to open up the newly renovated arena in October in conjunction with their 50th-anniversary celebration of playing in Atlanta. Atlanta has called Philips Arena home since it opened before the 1999 season. The red State Farm logo will appear at the top of the building, which will be full of brand new amenities. The State Farm Arena holds just a little over 17,000 fans, making it one of the smallest venues in the NBA.
The Hawks and State Farm Arena will be the first team in the NBA to offer a fan-friendly concessions pricing plan. The Hawks were motivated by the success of their neighbor, the Atlanta Falcons, similar pricing plan.
