Argentinian former basketball player Manu Ginobili was recently announced as one of the 13 individuals who will be elected to the Class of 2022 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

He will be inducted during the Hall of Fame Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts in September. 

Ginobili was drafted to the National Basketball Association in 1999, eventually joining the San Antonio Spurs prior to the start of the 2002-03 season after a successful EuroLeague career in Argentina and Italy.

He played the entirety of his 16 years in the NBA with the Spurs. During his career with the team, Ginobili won four championships, made two All-Star appearances, and also won the Sixth Man of the Year in 2008.

His international career was arguably more illustrious with his crowning achievement coming during the 2004 Olympics, when he helped lead the Argentinian Men’s Basketball Team to a gold medal. The Argentinian Team followed that up with a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics. 

Ginobili has the distinction of being one of only two players ever to win a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal, with Bill Bradley being the other. 

Upon receiving word of his upcoming induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Ginobili took the time to reflect on the number of great teams he has been on. 

"I was a part of two incredible teams; if it wasn't for being part of those two teams, I wouldn't be here,'' Ginobili told ESPN. "It's not just about individual accomplishments. I never won a scoring championship, an MVP or even [All-NBA] first team. I'm here because of my surroundings, of the players I played with, of the coaches I was coached [by] and the organizations. I know I've been very lucky.''

After retiring as a player in 2018, Ginobili rejoined the Spurs in 2021 as Special Advisor to basketball operations for the team. 

In addition to Ginobili, the 2022 Hall of Fame class will consist of Tim Hardaway, Bob Huggins, George Karl, Hugh Evans, Lindsay Whalen, Swin Cash, Marianne Stanley, Lou Hudson, Larry Costello, Del Harris, and Theresa Shank-Grentz and Radivoj Korac. 

Ginobili and Whalen are the only first ballot Hall of Famers from this year’s class. 

The 2022 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Sept. 9-10.