Loyalty to a team surely matters and Manu Ginobili was very loyal. The San Antonio great has decided to retire from the game of basketball and start another journey after playing 16 seasons with the team. He is widely noted as one of the most professional individuals in the game and all about the team. Many other sports stars have also decided to retire this offseason, such as New York Giants star Victor Cruz, and other players in the NFL.

It has to be seen how the Spurs will do in the coming season. They still have one of the best coaches in the league in Gregg Popovich.

Below is a look at what Manu Ginobili accomplished in the league and a look at his brilliant career, along with an outlook for the Spurs.

A true professional retires

Ginobili took to Twitter on Monday (August 27) to announce his retirement from the game of basketball, a sport that he deeply loves. As a true professional, he thanked everyone who helped him along his journey for the last 23 years. Manu Ginobili will strongly be considered for the Hall of Fame.

The team also took to Twitter to thank him for everything he's done for the organization with a tribute video.

It has to be said how loyal Manu was to the team and how he never brought anybody down or criticized anyone for mistakes.

Many NBA stars in today's game thanked Ginobili for his mark on the league with his signature euro step and being a great competitor.

A historic career

The possibility of Manu Ginobili retiring was a question mark and topic since last season.

The team reportedly was hoping he would return to play another season and use his veteran leadership for the young players, but he has chosen to hang up his jersey. He indeed has a long resume, playing abroad with teams in Italy and Argentina and then making his mark in the NBA. According to an article by ESPN, he is a "four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist for Argentina and a EuroLeague MVP."

Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, had some interesting statements to say about the player calling him a "pioneer who helped globalize the NBA and one of basketball's greatest ambassadors who believes in the power of sports to change lives." It really is an understatement about how sports can bring people together and represent a culture.

Ginobili will be leaving the game behind even though he still had one year left on his deal.

According to Bleacher Report: "Ginobili averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds during his 16 years in the league. In 218 postseason games, he averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds."

The team outlook

Manu Ginobili was an integral piece to the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and himself. They have all moved on, as Tim Duncan retired years ago, and Tony Parker chose to take his talents to the Charlotte Hornets. The big three were able to bring the team a championship in 2014. All three players were the perfect model of consistency, as they never missed the playoffs.

Their star, Kawhi Leonard, was traded to the Toronto Raptors, but there is speculation that he still wishes to play for in L.A. with the Lakers as the number one choice, behind the Clippers.

Leonard reportedly wanted out because of the way the team handled his injury. The situation was an enigma and riddled the organization with drama for most of last season.

The San Antonio Spurs will be competitive in the upcoming season, especially with Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge this on the roster. The team lost to the Warriors in the playoffs 4-1 last season. The team will surely be battling it out in the tough Western Conference again but has to make the most of its depth.
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