Report: Manu Ginobili delays retirement, finalizing deal to return for Spurs

Ginobili, who has spent his entire career in San Antonio, will be back for his 16th season

Manu Ginobili is coming back. 

The veteran guard has been the subject of retirement rumors for more than a couple years, but just as he has for each of the previous 15 seasons, Ginobili will be there in his No. 20 jersey when the San Antonio Spurs tip off the 2017-18 season.

Manu Ginobili and the Spurs are finalizing details of his imminent return for a 16th NBA season, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2017

Ginobili, who will turn 40 later this month, is clearly no longer the player he once was, and played less than 19 minutes per game during the last regular season. 

But he turned back the clock in the playoffs with some vintage performances against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals, including a 21-point performance in Game 3 along with a 15-point, seven-assist night in Game 4, which many expected would be his finale. 

Following their elimination in Game 4, the Spurs crowd gave Ginobili a rousing send off, as they expected it would be the last time the Argentine would suit up for their squad. 

Surely, every single Spurs fan is delighted to know they were wrong, as their beloved veteran is returning for one more season.