Argentinian devastated to miss opportunity to represent his country this summer…
San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has been ruled out of the FIBA World Cup due to a stress fracture in his right leg.
The 37-year-old was hampered by the injury during the NBA Playoffs but was able to play through the pain and help the Spurs to win yet another championship.
However, on the advice of the medical staff in San Antonio who requested for him to not play in Spain later this month, he has decided against risking doing more damage to the lingering issue.
Ginobili took to Twitter to post a tweet in Spanish in which he conceded that he was “so sorry” that he couldn’t compete, and having proven his commitment to the national team over the years, it is undoubtedly a difficult decision to make for the veteran.
Nevertheless, it has been reported that it arguably the best move for the NBA legend as his international commitments have previously taken their toll on his ability to perform in the league.
Back in 2008, Ginobili injured his ankle in the playoffs but went on to play for Argentina in the Olympics. However, he did further damage to the injury in Beijing which ultimately meant that he required surgery and he then went on to have an injury-plagued 2008-09 season in which he missed the playoffs and San Antonio were eliminated by Dallas in the first round.
In addition, Ginobili suffered from a below-par campaign in 2012/13 after playing in the London Olympics the previous summer, but having had time to rest his body last summer, he put on some vintage performances to ensure the Spurs bounced back from the heartbreak of the year before.
The Argentinian ace will now take time to recover from his injury before preparing for the next NBA season, but it will undoubtedly be a tough sight to sit out and watch his compatriots in action.
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