Ginobili: Retirement decision won't be affected by how I finish season

In the absence of Kawhi Leonard, 39-year-old shooting guard Manu Ginobili was perhaps the San Antonio Spurs' best player in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Ginobili went for 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, helping the Spurs keep the game relatively competitive despite facing an enormous talent deficit with their MVP candidate sidelined. Through three games in the series, he's averaging 13.3 points on 63.6 percent shooting. Though he'll turn 40 in July, Ginobili - who has yet to decide on his future as a player beyond this season - looks more than capable of giving the Spurs at least one more year.

But the Argentine plans to take a more holistic approach when it comes time to make a decision, and he hasn't forgotten how badly he's struggled at points this postseason - like when he missed his first 15 field goals of the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I'm the same guy who was struggling against Memphis, and that you were all concerned (about)," Ginobili told reporters Sunday, when asked whether his recent run of strong play will impact his decision about retirement. "Same exact guy. Sometimes having good games, sometimes bad ones; sometimes making shots, sometimes not.

"I've always said it: Winning the championship or not winning it, scoring 20 the last game or zero, is not going to change who I am or the decision I make. I can't throw nine months into the trash and just respond to the way I felt the last game. It's a more well-thought decision. I'll let it sink (in), as I've been doing lately, and see how it goes."

If he does ultimately decide to hang up his sneakers, Monday's Game 4 in San Antonio could mark the end of an illustrious NBA career that's featured 992 regular-season games, 213 playoff games, two All-Star games, two All-NBA appearances, and four championships, all with the Spurs. The Warriors lead the series 3-0.