The Argentinian guard won't be allowed to play for the national team because of a stress fracture is his right leg.
The San Antonio Spurs will not allow shooting guard Manu Ginobili to play for Argentina in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The Spurs sent Ginobili a letter informing him of their decision on Monday:
Spurs sent @manuginobili a letter -- citing stress fracture and recovery time, they will not grant him permission to play @FIBA. #Spurs
— Buck Harvey (@Buck_SA) July 28, 2014The 37-year-old is recovering from a stress fracture in his right leg that was revealed following San Antonio's NBA Finals victory over the Miami Heat in June. The injury typically carries a two-month diagnosis, but Ginobili still publicly stated his intention to play for Argentina, saying he believed the injury would heal faster. Ginobili had an MRI this past week but the results were inconclusive.
San Antonio's decision to bar Ginobili from playing follows comments made by Argentina teammate Louis Scola on the state of the the country's basketball association. Scola threatened to boycott the World Cup because of corruption in the Argentine Basketball Association. The association is reportedly $20 million in debt and has made the team deal with insurance and travel issues. Ginobili tweeted support for Scola's comments.
Ginobili averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 assists per game last season.