The San Antonio Spurs were stunned by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the latter will now advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the Golden State Warriors. The biggest question for the Spurs heading into off-season is if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will go for one more season.
The Spurs were poised to go all the way to the WCF as they finished with the second best record at 67-15 in the conference just behind the Warriors. However, the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were simply too much for the veteran team to contain, ultimately succumbing to the young squad in six games.
Despite landing All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and the rise of Kawhi Leonard to superstardom, it simply was not enough to carry the aging squad to the Finals. Now, the team is facing the potential end of an era as future Hall of Famer Duncan and Ginobili have finally reached the twilight zones of their respective careers.
"I'll get to that after I get out of here and figure out life. That's it," Duncan told ESPN. Should this be the 40 year-old's last year, he will go down as one, if not, the best power forward of all-time. He holds post-season records of 9,370 minutes played, 568 blocks and 164 double-doubles among others.
Ginobili, meanwhile, will go down as one of the best underdog stories of all-time. Being drafted 57th overall in the 1999 NBA draft, the Argentinian went on to become a vital part of the Spurs core for more than a decade and win four titles with Duncan and Tony Parker.
"Of course, it's been an amazing run," Ginobili told the publication. "We all enjoy playing with each other. I'm so proud of having played with those guys for so many years and winning so many games, and even playing with the new guys."
Despite the impending retirement of Duncan and Ginobili, the Spurs will still be in good hands as Gregg Popovich is still manning the team, Bleacher Report reported. Also, this will be the time for Parker to take the leadership role as he will now be the longest tenured player in the roster.
Here are some highlights of game six between the Spurs and Thunder.