In typical lighthearted fashion, Ginobili addressed San Antonio media for the first time Saturday since announcing his retirement Aug. 27 on Twitter and explained the terror he felt in actually typing out his decision to close the book on a storybook professional career.
“After the announcement, I didn’t have the chance to see you guys, to talk to you,” Ginobili said. “I didn’t want to announce it with this type of environment and with all the things that were going on in my head. Even though I am very sure about the decision, it’s still awkward. It’s still tough. You are convinced. You’ve talked to your wife, and you know what you’ve got to do. But my fingers shook a lot before hitting that enter [button].nike nfl jerseys cheap paypal
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t an easy decision in the sense that after so many years, 23 seasons of doing this, it was kind of hard to put the last nail in that coffin. It was an intense situation that was a little bit sensitive. So I wanted to wait a couple weeks before facing you and responding to your questions.”
Ginobili competed in a total of 23 professional basketball seasons, winning four NBA titles, an Olympic gold medal for Argentina and a EuroLeague MVP award.
He turned 41 on July 28 and explained taking careful consideration in arriving at his decision, despite playing last season believing that it would likely be his last. Before heading off on vacation with his wife, Marianela, and their three sons in Canada and the Pacific Northwest over the summer, Ginobili told Popovich that he was more likely to retire than to continue playing.
Once Ginobili returned to San Antonio, he headed back to the team facilities for workouts, which would ultimately cement his decision.
“I took last season mentally as my last season,” Ginobili said. “So every place I went, every situation, I kind of knew it was going to be the last one. But I left the door open, just in case. Slowly, the door started to close more. I couldn’t see my body going through that kind of grind again. I felt that I had a good season, that I left everything I had in that previous season both physically and mentally.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale
“When I came back here and I came to work out a little bit, to lift, bike or whatever, I saw Bryn [Forbes], I saw Dejounte [Murray], I saw some of the guys working out and preparing for the season. And I was so far from that. That’s when I said, ‘For sure, this is it.’ There was a little bit of that door opened, but it closed pretty quick. I couldn’t see me getting ready for another 82-game season, 65 in my case.”