Manu Ginobili officially ruled out of FIBA World Cup after Spurs cite medical concern

The FIBA World Cup in late August won't have the same San Antonio Spurs vibe that international competition often does.

With news already out that Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker had withdrawn from their respective programs for the summer, it was confirmed on Thursday that Manu Ginobili will also sit out for Argentina.

As the San Antonio Express-News explains (as does the post below), this comes after the Spurs cited medical concerns following an inconclusive examination of Ginobili's injured right fibula:

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, suffering from a stress fracture in his right leg incurred during the recent NBA championship run, has been officially ruled out for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Argentine Basketball Federation (CABB) confirmed via statement on Thursday.

The CABB cited a clause in the agreement between the NBA and FIBA that prohibits players from participating with their national team when there is “reasonable medical concern” for the player’s health. Such is the case for Ginobili, who has yet to recover from the injury in his lower right fibula with the tournament set to begin on Aug. 30.

The report also indicates that Ginobili continues to feel pain in the leg but expects to be ready for training camp with the Spurs in the fall.

For the 37-year-old Ginobili, there's a chance this means the end of his time as an international competitor, a position he's embraced since 1998. That includes the 2008 Olympics, when Ginobili aggravated an ankle injury that then lingered all through the NBA season, a memory that reportedly played into the Spurs' decision to sit him out this time around.

It's easy to understand the team's side of things, but it's a little disappointing we won't get yet another great Ginobili international performance.