Spurs' Ginobili going under the knife
Last Updated: Friday, August 29, 2008 | 12:17 PM ET
CBC Sports
Manu Ginobili, seen during the NBA playoffs, played through his injury at the Beijing Olympics. (Eric Gay/Associated Press)San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told a newspaper in his native Argentina on Friday that he will require surgery on his left heel.
"They're going to operate on me," Ginobili was quoted as saying by La Nacion newspaper.
Ginobili has ligament damage in his heel. He suffered the injury during the NBA playoffs and aggravated it during the Beijing Olympics.
"It's the same as it was two months ago, when they did the first exam," said Ginobili. "It's not worse, which is important. Now, the thing is, it's not better either, and it seems like the only way to repair it completely is arthroscopic surgery."
Ginobili, 31, has not yet scheduled the surgery and a time frame for his recovery is not known.
The guard finished fourth in Olympic scoring, averaging 17.7 points in seven games. The injury forced him to sit out the bronze medal game, with Argentina topping Lithuania.
Ginobili and his teammates at the 2004 Athens Games won gold for Argentina.
Ginobili was the overwhelming choice as the NBA's Sixth Man award winner this season. He averaged a career-high 19.5 points this season, best on the Spurs.
He added 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his sixth season in the league.
With files from the Associated Press
