Considered one of the most likeable and accomplished players in the NBA, shooting guard Manu Ginobili is an inspirational superstar. One of only two players to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal, Ginobili has made a name for himself as a versatile team player. As a member of the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili has won four NBA championships and was instrumental in his team succeeding in this regard. Given Ginobili’s immense success as a well-rounded basketball athlete, the question remains of how much is the respected NBA star actually worth?
Manu Ginobili’s Net Worth as of 2017: $45 Million
How did the humble shooting guard get there? And how has his illustrious career garnered him this type of wealth? Let’s take a closer look.
1995 – 2002
Before Ginobili became a Spurs fan favorite in the United States, he was a well-traveled international basketball player in both the Argentine and Italian Leagues. Ginobili got his first taste of playing professionally in 1995 when he played for Andino Sport Club in Argentina. After a brief stint with Andino, Ginobili was traded to his hometown team Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca, where he played for two years.
Ginobili’s career picked up steam when he moved to Europe and played with the Italian team Basket Viola Reggio Calabria. In just two years with the organization, Ginobili was promoted from Italian 2nd Division to Italian 1st Division.
Despite being selected with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili opted to return to Italy to play for Kinder Bologna. This decision proved to be vital in Ginobili’s development as he won the Italian League Championship in 2001, won back to back Italian Cups from 2001-2002 and won the EuroLeague championship in 2001.
He reportedly earned $11.5 million in 2002.
2002 – Present
Ginobili joined the Spurs for the 2002 season where he initially backed up veteran guard Steve Smith. Ginobili’s NBA career got off to a rocky start as he spent the early part of the season injured. On top of that, Ginobili had some issues adjusting to the NBA style of play, which was a type of adversity the budding star had not experienced when he played in Europe. However, as Ginobili’s health improved so did his effectiveness as a legitimate NBA player. Despite starting in only six games in his first NBA season, Ginobili stepped up in the playoffs as a vastly overlooked scoring threat. As a result of Ginobili’s contributions, the already well-coached and disciplined Spurs cruised to the NBA Finals and won their second NBA championship.
As a result of Ginobili’s crucial consistency in the playoffs, the Spurs began to feature the mature guard in more of a starting role in 2003. In his new found role as a starter, Ginobili improved in all major statistical categories (12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG). Although Ginobili did not start at any point during the NBA playoffs, he still managed to improve his post season numbers, particularly as a scorer(13 PPG during playoffs).
Continuing to build off last years individual success, Ginobili started in every game during the 2004 regular season. He was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team as a reserve player, which ultimately elevated his status as a respected NBA athlete. During the Spurs playoff run to their third NBA championship, Ginobili asserted himself as a dominant and versatile scorer. He made 50.7% of his shots from the field and was lights out as a perimeter shooter (43.8% three point percentage).
The 2005 regular season was a difficult time for Ginobili as he suffered from debilitating foot and ankle injuries. While Ginobili returned to form by the start of the playoffs, he was unable to prevent the Spurs from being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Semi-Finals.
In 2006, Ginobili proved that he was a consummate team player and contributor as he came off the bench for a Spurs team that lacked depth. Although Ginobili only started in less than half of the regular season games, he still averaged 16.5 PPG. Once again, Ginobili continued his dominance as a cluch playoff scorer as he helped the Spurs sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Coming off the bench in 2007, Ginobili was aggressive as a scorer (19.5 PPG) and as a physical rebounder (4.8 RPG). As a result of selflessness and statistical prowess, Ginobili was rewarded with the Six Man of the Year Award. Inserted into a starting role during the second round of the NBA playoffs against the New Orleans Hornets, Ginobili was unfazed by the limelight and led the Spurs in points and assists per game during the series. Unfortunately, Ginobili and the Spurs were unable to overcome their rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals (lost the series in five games).
The 2008 NBA season proved to be a low point for Ginobili and the Spurs. Ginobili played in just over half the regular season games and missed the NBA playoffs entirely. While the Spurs claimed the third seed in the Western Conference, their aging starting line up was unable to get past the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Healthy again, Ginobili entered the 2009 season energized and confident in his abilities to make himself a necessity as a bench player. After the end of the season, Ginobili signed a three-year contract extension that was worth $39 million.
After being a reliable bench player for the majority of his career, Ginobili was finally rewarded for his efforts and patience as he started in 79 games during the 2010 regular season. For his efforts, Ginobili was named a Western Conference All-Star and was named to the All-NBA third team by the end of the season.
While Ginobili did not have as much of a prominent role as he did the previous season, he made the most of his opportunities during a shortened lockout season in 2011. He set career highs in field goal percentage (52.6%) and three point field goal percentage (41.3%).
Although Ginobili continued his impressive consistency in the 2012 regular season and NBA playoffs, his concerted efforts were not enough to prevent the Spurs from losing to the Miami Heat in seven games in the NBA Finals.
Ginobili and the Spurs had one of their best seasons to date in 2013, as they compiled a 62-20 record, which was the best in the league. While the Heat and Spurs met again in the NBA Finals, it proved be a dominant redemption series for the Spurs. They dispatched the Heat in five games and Ginobili won his fourth NBA championship.
Over the next two years, Ginobili hit several career milestones. Ginobili played in his 900th career NBA game on January 14 2016 in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On November 9, 2016, Ginobili became the 15th second round pick to reach 13,000 points in a career.
While Ginobili’s statistical output during the 2016 regular season and the 2017 playoffs were not impressive, he still proved that when the opportunity presented itself for him to shoot that he could make the shot. Although Ginobili’s potential last season in the NBA ended on a downtrodden note as the Spurs were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Golden State Warriors, Ginobili conducted himself with class and humility as the die-hard Spurs faithful cheered for Ginobili as he excited the arena.
Whether Ginobili stays or retires in the near future is anyone’s guess. From a statistical standpoint, his lack of point production and accuracy from the perimeter certainly point to a strong chance of Ginobili finally moving on. However, when looking back on Ginobili’s prolific career, it’s hard not to be fond of the dedicated athlete that played selflessly to help his team win. Unlike most gifted athletes, Ginobili never displayed any ire about not being a consistent starter. In fact, Ginobili embraced his role and was grateful for the opportunity to be with an organization that helped him develop as a NBA star and as a genuinely great human being.
He reportedly earned $14 million in 2017.
