Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 20 July 2017
Ginobili indicates he will return to Spurs for 16th season

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — As closer and closer.” The Spurs won 61 games
the clock ticked down Save those goodbyes for at last season, but were over-
on the Spurs’ season and least another year. whelmed by the Warriors in
Manu Ginobili was pulled Ginobili averaged 7.5 the conference finals after
from the game, a thunder- points and 18.7 minutes Kawhi Leonard suffered
ous roar from the home per game last season. In an ankle injury in Game 1.
crowd guided him to the 15 seasons with the Spurs, After missing out on Chris
bench. he ranks in the top five in Paul, they re-signed guard
Ginobili wore an apprecia- franchise history in points Patty Mills, added veteran
tive but quizzical look on his (13,467), games (992), as- forward Rudy Gay and
face as he put a warmup sists (3,835) and steals summer league standout
shirt back on and prepared (1,349). Brandon Paul, and are ex-
to head off into the sum- The 6-foot-6 guard will turn pected to bring back Pau
mer. Clearly, the fans were 40 on July 28 and has been Gasol as well to make an-
saying goodbye to one of a part of four of the Spurs’ other run at Golden State.
the most popular players in five NBA championships. The understated offseason
Spurs history. A member of the famed fits the Spurs more closely
Ginobili was not ready to three-player core with Tim than two years ago when
do the same: The Argen- Duncan and Tony Parker, In this May 16, 2017, file photo, San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili they signed LaMarcus Al-
tinian posted a message Ginobili may be the most warms up for Game 2 of the the team’s NBA basketball Western dridge to a max deal.
on his Twitter account on beloved member of the Conference final against the Golden State Warriors, in Oakland, Given that Parker figures
Wednesday that he is re- group. His heart-on-his- Calif. to miss a good chunk of
signing with San Antonio for sleeve approach stands Associated Press the start of the season with
another season, which will out in a quiet Spurs culture down, but he remains in- rah guy,” Popovich said in a quadriceps injury suf-
be his 16th with the Spurs. and his flair for the dra- credibly important to the March. “He didn’t wave fered in the playoffs and
“It felt like they wanted me matic has been an integral Spurs as they try to chase a towel. He would talk in Jonathon Simmons left
to retire,” Ginobili said with part of the Spurs’ success. Golden State in the West. timeouts. He’d put his arm for a three-year deal with
a smile after the Spurs were His block of James Hard- In Duncan’s first season of around people. Manu and Orlando, Ginobili’s return
swept out of the Western en in overtime helped the retirement, coach Gregg Tony have been more vo- means even more. Ginobili
Conference finals by the Spurs clinch a win over the Popovich leaned more on cal in that regard. They talk averaged 13.8 points in just
Golden State Warriors. Rockets in Game 5 of the Parker and Ginobili to be to the team more than I over 20 minutes per game
“Like they were giving me Western Conference semi- vocal leaders in the locker do. They talk to individuals. of that series against the
sort of a celebration night. finals last season room. They’ve really taken on that Warriors, hitting 58.8 per-
And of course, I’m getting His overall numbers were “Timmy’s not a big rah- mantle and it’s helped.” cent of his shots.q

Froome
Continued on Page 22 certainly felt a lot better
than a week ago in the
at 75 kph (45 mph). that earned him a bonus Pyrenees, which is a good
Rigoberto Uran, the Co- of 5,000 euros ($5,750) from sign.”
lombian who is making a race organizers — was Tour The Team Sky leader was
habit at this Tour of being in rookie Primoz Roglic. Show- greeted at the finish by
the right place at the right ing nerves of steel on the French President Emman-
time, always in Froome’s 28-kilometer (17-mile) de- uel Macron, who followed
shadow, zoomed down in scent to the finish at the the stage in a car with the
that group, too. Serre-Chevalier ski station, race director.
The bill, at the end, was the former ski jumper be- If he wants to catch up with
costly for Aru. came the first Slovenian to the main contenders, Aru
Having started Stage 17 win a stage in the 114-year will have to strike back on
in second place overall, history of the Tour. Thursday in the last Alpine
just 18 seconds behind “It’s unbelievable,” Roglic stage, with a mountain-top
Froome, the Astana team said. finish at the Col d’Izoard —
rider slipped back to fourth “A really crazy stage.” another storied 2,000-me-
Britain’s Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jer- — 53 seconds behind the Froome’s group of Uran, ter (6,500-feet) pass.
sey, and Italy’s Fabio Aru, right, climb during the seventeenth race leader, who is getting Bardet and French rider After that, the last big op-
stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 183 kilometers stronger in the last week Warren Barguil rolled over portunity to make up plac-
(113.7 miles) with start in La Mure and finish in Serre-Chevalier, of the three-week cycling the line 1 minute and 13 es is the race-against-the-
France, Wednesday, July 19, 2017. marathon. seconds after the 27-year- clock time trial in Marseille
Associated Press Uran leapfrogged from old Team Lotto rider, who on Saturday. But that disci-
fourth to second overall. moved to cycling in his ear- pline isn’t Aru’s forte — un-
Bardet is still third. That po- ly twenties. like Froome.
But a last burst of speed did not. dium could stick all the way Determined not to give any “I fought until the very last
from Bardet toward the On the long and hairy high- to Paris on Sunday, as they ground, Froome outsprint- meters, I gave my all to
top of the mountain pass, speed descent from there both trail Froome by 27 sec- ed Bardet to the finish line, minimize losses,” Aru said.
which rises 2,642 meters to the finish, they pedaled onds. securing four bonus sec- “Anyway, I don’t see a big
(8,668 feet) in altitude, furiously to prevent Aru from “At this stage of the race, onds for placing third on drama in today’s stage.
proved decisive. Froome catching them, whisking everyone’s on their hands the stage. Uran was quick- The race ends in Paris.”
stayed with the French rid- through the bends with no and knees, let’s see what er still, beating Froome to While Bardet’s repeated
er who stood next to him safety barriers and no mar- happens,” Froome said. get six bonus seconds for bursts of acceleration on
on the Paris podium last gin for error. At their quick- “It’s still all to race for.” second place. the Galibier eventually
year, in second place. Aru est, the riders descended Beating everyone to the “It was a big day of climb- cracked Aru, they couldn’t
top of the Galibier — a feat ing,” Froome said. “My legs shake off Froome. q