Spurs deny injured Manu Ginobili permission to play in FIBA World Cup
Just day after attesting his right leg didn't hurt and professing his optimism about playing for his native Argentina in FIBA's World Cup, San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili won't be playing in the tournament after all.
The Spurs sent Ginobili a letter informing him they would not extend the 12-year veteran and a core member of San Antonio's 2014 NBA championship team 'permission' to play in the tournament, according to Buck Harvey of the San Antonio News-Express.
Ginobili has a stress fracture in his right leg that was first detected during June's NBA finals series against the Miami Heat. He said last week the stress fracture didn't hurt.
Ginobili recently tweeted support for a fellow Argentinean national teammate's condemnation of alleged corruption in the country's basketball federation. It is unclear whether Ginobili's support would have jeopardized his chance to play on the national team any way.
Ginobili averaged just over 12 points and four assists per game last season for the Spurs en route to helping San Antonio claim it's fifth NBA title.
- Will Green
