Tag Archives: Sixth Man of the Year

Manu Ginobli to Reportedly be Inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

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It’s a Hall of a moment for Manu Ginobli…

The 44-year-old Argentine former professional basketball player is among those reportedly set to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2022.

Manu Ginobili

Over a 23-year professional career, the former San Antonio Spurs star became one of only two players to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Ginobili was a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA All-Star and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year during his 16-season career with the Spurs.

He joins a roster of reported inductees that includes WNBA icon Swin Cash, NBA star Tim Hardaway, former longtime NBA head coach George Karl and West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins.

A formal announcement of the 16-member 2022 class is expected on Saturday, but The Athletic first reported news on the five inductees Thursday.

The 2022 class is slated to be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on September 10.

Barbosa Agrees to One-Year, $2.5 Million Deal with the Golden State Warriors

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It’ll be another golden season for Leandro Barbosa…

The 32-year-old Brazilian professional basketball player and veteran guard has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract to stay with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN.com.

Leandro Barbosa

Barbosa has bounced all over the league and played for six different teams in his 12 seasons. He was taken 28th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, then was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he played his first seven seasons.

After stops with the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics and Suns again, Barbosa signed a one-year deal with the Warriors in 2014.

The 6-foot-3 combo guard appeared in 66 games (one start) for the 67-win Warriors this past season, primarily backing up league MVP Stephen Curry. Barbosa averaged 7.1 points and 1.5 assists in 14.9 minutes per game.

Barbosa, an unrestricted free agent, made several key contributions in the playoffs, including 13 points in a Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

In 2007, Barbosa won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 18.1 points per game.

He holds career averages of 11.4 points and 2.3 assists in 22.9 minutes per game.

Ginobili Returning for 14th Season with the San Antonio Spurs

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The Spurs the limit for Manu Ginobili…

The 37-year-old Argentine player will return another season with the San Antonio Spurs, announcing his decision in a tweet Monday.

Manu Ginobili

“Happy to announce that I’m coming back next season. #gospursgo #TDwouldvemissedmetoomuch,” tweeted Ginobili, considered one of the finest international players to grace the NBA.

Ginobili had said Tim Duncan‘s decision would affect whether he returned for the upcoming season. Duncan announced Thursday that he would return for his 19th season.

The Spurs were determined to convince Ginobili to play one more season after agreeing to terms with LaMarcus Aldridge, sources told ESPN.com. The Spurs remained quietly optimistic that Ginobili would ultimately opt to come back.

While Ginobili appears to be on the decline statistically, coach Gregg Popovich still wanted to bring him back for a 14th season with the Spurs, as Ginobili’s experience and intangibles make him an important piece as the club tries to make a run at a second championship in three years.

Ginobili, a two-time NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year, had pondered retirement since San Antonio’s season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the Western Conference first round.

In 2014-15, Ginobili turned over the ball five times per 100 possessions, which registered as a career high. In the postseason series against Los Angeles, Ginobili connected on just 34.9 percent of his shots, the worst playoff field goal percentage of his career.

Ginobili has averaged 14.3 points throughout his career in the regular season and 15.2 points per game in the postseason.