Career Timeline of Manu Ginóbili: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Manu Ginóbili made an impact.

Manu Ginóbili is a retired Argentine professional basketball player widely considered one of the greatest shooting guards and sixth men in NBA history. He popularized the Euro step in the NBA. Ginóbili led Argentina to an Olympic gold medal in 2004, earning MVP honors and marking the only time a US NBA team was eliminated in the competition. He's one of two players to win a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. A four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, he formed the renowned "Big Three" with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. He is also considered one of the greatest draft steals in NBA history, along with Nikola Jokić. Currently, he serves as a special advisor to basketball operations for the Spurs.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1995: Professional Debut

In 1995, Manu Ginóbili made his professional debut in the Argentine basketball league for the Andino Sport Club of La Rioja during the 1995–96 season.

1996: Traded to Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca

In 1996, Ginóbili was traded to Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca.

1997: Played at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship

In 1997, Ginóbili played with the junior Argentina national team at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship, where his team finished in 4th place.

1998: End of Hometown Play

In 1998, Ginóbili finished playing with his hometown team, Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca.

1998: Senior Debut at FIBA World Championship

In 1998, Ginóbili made his senior debut for Argentina's national basketball team at the FIBA World Championship in Athens.

1998: Move to Europe

In 1998, Ginóbili moved to Europe to play with Italian team Basket Viola Reggio Calabria.

1999: Promotion to Italian 1st Division

In 1999, Ginóbili, teamed with Brent Scott, Brian Oliver and Sydney Johnson to earn promotion from the Italian 2nd Division to the Italian 1st Division.

1999: NBA Draft and Return to Italy

In 1999, Manu Ginóbili entered the NBA draft and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs. However, he didn't sign with the Spurs at that time and instead returned to Italy to play for Kinder Bologna.

1999: NBA Draft Selection

In 1999, Manu Ginóbili was selected as the 57th overall pick in the NBA draft.

2000: Spurs Eliminated in First Round

For the first time since 2000, the Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

2000: Continued Play in Italy

In 2000, Ginóbili continued to play with Italian team Basket Viola Reggio Calabria.

2000: Italian League MVP

In 2000, Ginóbili was named the Italian League MVP.

2001: Italian League Championship

In 2001, Ginóbili helped Kinder Bologna win the Italian League Championship and was named the EuroLeague's Finals MVP.

2002: Italian Cup Win

In 2002, Ginóbili helped Kinder Bologna win the Italian Cup.

2002: Joined Spurs, Rookie Season

In 2002, Ginóbili joined the San Antonio Spurs for the 2002-03 NBA season. He initially played backup, struggled with injuries, and adjusted to the NBA style of play. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in March.

2002: Won Silver Medal at FIBA World Championship

In 2002, Ginóbili played at the FIBA World Championship, where he won a silver medal with the Argentinian national team.

2002: Joined the San Antonio Spurs

In 2002, Manu Ginóbili joined the San Antonio Spurs and quickly became a key player for the team.

2002: FIBA World Championship

In 2002, while playing with the Argentina national team at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Ginóbili made the All-Tournament Team and helped lead Argentina to a second-place finish.

2002: Reference to Michael Jordan's record

In January 2018, Ginóbili became the first player in his 40s to score 15-plus points in back-to-back games since Michael Jordan in 2002-03.

2003: Increased Role with Spurs

In 2003, the Spurs began featuring Ginóbili more prominently.

2004: Playoffs Loss to Lakers

During the 2004 playoffs, the Spurs lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals, with Ginóbili's playoff statistics improving significantly.

2004: Led Argentina to Olympic Gold

In 2004, Ginóbili led Argentina to a gold medal at the Athens Summer Olympics, becoming the first team other than Team USA to win in 16 years. He hit a game-winning buzzer beater against Serbia and Montenegro, leading the team in scoring (19.3 points per game) and assists (3.3 assists per game).

2004: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2004, Manu Ginóbili led Argentina to a gold medal-winning performance at the FIBA Olympics in Athens and won the MVP award. His team also achieved the only elimination of a US NBA team in the history of this competition.

2004: Re-signing with Spurs

In 2004, after initial contract issues, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs and started every game during the 2004–05 season.

2004: Statistics Compared to the 2004-05 Season

In the 2006-07 season, Ginóbili produced numbers closely identical to his successful 2004-05 campaign despite starting in only 36 of 75 games, his second-lowest number of starts since arriving at San Antonio.

2005: NBA All-Star

In 2005, Ginóbili was named an NBA All-Star.

2005: NBA Championship and All-Star Selection

In 2005, Manu Ginóbili played a pivotal role in winning San Antonio's third NBA championship. He was also selected as a reserve for the 2005 Western Conference All-Star team, marking his debut in the elite showcase. He also won an Olimpias de Oro, sharing the award with soccer star Carlos Tevez.

2005: Injury-Plagued Season

The 2005-06 season was an injury-plagued one for Ginóbili, hindering his ability to play, and the Spurs were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Semifinals.

2006: Played at the FIBA World Championship

In 2006, Ginóbili represented Argentina at the FIBA World Championship, where the team finished in 4th place.

2006: Role with the Spurs

In the 2006-07 season, the Spurs lacked energy from their reserves, leading Ginóbili to come off the bench for most of the second half of the season.

2007: NBA Sixth Man of the Year

In 2007, Manu Ginóbili was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

2007: NBA Championship Win

In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Ginóbili helped the Spurs defeat the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz, leading to the team sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ginobili's third and San Antonio's fourth championship.

February 2008: Record-Breaking Performance

On February 11, 2008, Ginóbili scored 34 points and recorded 15 rebounds in a win over the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first guard in Spurs' history to have at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a game.

April 2008: Sixth Man Award and All-NBA Third Team

On April 21, 2008, Ginóbili was awarded the 2008 Sixth Man Award. A couple of weeks later, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

2008: Flag Bearer and Olympic Bronze Medalist

In 2008, Ginóbili was the flag bearer for Argentina at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics. The basketball team won the bronze medal, although Ginóbili missed the bronze medal game due to injury.

2009: Injury and Playoff Absence

In 2009, Ginóbili was injured for most of the campaign, managing only 44 regular-season games and missing the 2009 NBA Playoffs entirely.

April 2010: Ginóbili announced he would not participate in the 2010 FIBA World Championship

In April 2010, Ginóbili announced that he would not participate in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, due to family reasons.

April 2010: Contract Extension

On April 9, 2010, the Spurs and Ginóbili agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension through the 2012-13 season.

2010: Support for Same-Sex Marriage

In 2010, following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina, Ginóbili expressed his support for the bill.

2010: Key Player and NBA MVP Ballot

In 2010-11, Ginobili was regarded as the key player on his team, and he finished eighth on the NBA MVP ballot following the season.

2011: NBA All-Star Selection

In 2011, Manu Ginóbili was selected as an All-Star.

2011: Lockout-Shortened Season and Playoff Run

In the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, Ginóbili helped the Spurs go 50-16, and the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

2012: Competed at the London Summer Olympics

In 2012, Ginóbili competed for Argentina at the London Summer Olympics, where the team narrowly missed out on winning the bronze medal, losing the bronze medal game versus Russia.

2012: Contract Extension

In April 2010, the Spurs and Ginóbili agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension through the 2012-13 season.

2012: NBA Finals Appearance

In the 2012–13 season, the Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals, facing the Miami Heat.

July 2013: Re-signed with the Spurs

In July 2013, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs on a two-year deal.

July 2015: Re-signed with the Spurs

In July 2015, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs, continuing his career with the team.

January 2016: Played 900th NBA game and underwent surgery

In January 2016, Ginóbili played his 900th NBA game, all with the Spurs. He also underwent surgery for a testicular injury suffered in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, sidelining him for a month.

July 2016: Ginóbili re-signs with the Spurs

In July 2016, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs, marking another year with the team.

2016: Last International Games at Rio Summer Olympics

In 2016, Ginóbili played his last international games at the Rio Summer Olympics, where Argentina finished in 8th place.

August 2017: Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs

On August 24, 2017, Ginóbili re-signed with the Spurs, continuing his long tenure with the team.

2017: Key Playoff Performances

In 2017, during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets, Ginóbili blocked James Harden's shot to secure a 110–107 victory for San Antonio. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, he became the first player aged 39 or older to score 20 or more points off the bench in a playoff game since the NBA began recording starts in the 1970-71 NBA season.

January 2018: NBA History Maker at Age 40+

In January 2018, Ginóbili became the only player in NBA history to have multiple 20-point games off the bench at age 40 or older. He also became the first player in his 40s to score 15-plus points in back-to-back games since Michael Jordan in 2002-03.

August 2018: Retirement from the NBA

In August 2018, Manu Ginóbili announced his retirement from the NBA.

August 2018: Ginóbili announced his retirement

On August 27, 2018, Ginóbili announced his retirement from professional basketball after a stellar career.

March 2020: Support for Gay Basketball Players

In March 2020, Ginóbili expressed his support for gay people playing basketball and hoped that sexual orientation would no longer be an important issue.

September 2021: Appointed Special Advisor

In September 2021, Manu Ginóbili was appointed as special advisor to basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs.

September 2021: Appointed Special Advisor to Basketball Operations

In September 2021, the San Antonio Spurs announced Ginóbili's appointment as special advisor to basketball operations, marking his return to the organization in a new role.