Manu talks retirement

As if the NBA lockout hasn’t been hard enough on basketball fans, Thursday afternoon brought another bummer to Spurs faithful.

Manu Ginobili talking about his basketball mortality.

, Ginobili says he isn’t necessarily committed to calling it quits once his current contract expires after the 2012-13 season, but he does recognize the reality that time is not on his side.

He will be 36 years old then, a ripe old age for an NBA shooting guard. It isn’t a stretch to assume that could be Ginobili’s final season in silver and black.

Loosed from the rigors of an NBA job, Ginobili would finally be free to pursue full-time his true passion:

Elsewhere in the Argentine interview, Ginobili seems to frown upon the idea that he might return overseas, to play out his final years as a conquering hero, once his NBA contract is up.

“I always thought about retiring at the highest level,” Ginobili said (hat tip to for the translation).

One year older than Ginobili, Tim Duncan has always addressed the retirement issue by vowing to play, vaguely, “until the wheels fall off.” Ginobili would seem to be built in the same mold. He will likely keep playing NBA basketball for as long as someone will pay him to do it.

Still, if the ongoing NBA lockout eventually ends up cancelling games, it will be difficult not to consider the twilight years of Ginobili’s and Duncan’s careers as unfortunate collateral damage.

Lakers’ Bynum taking boxing lessons during lockout

Just what the NBA needed — another public-relations hit during the lockout.

But that’s what the league got when Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum spent some of his time away from basketball taking boxing lessons.

Yes, that’s  the same Andrew Bynum who will be suspended for the first five games once the season begins for his thuggish attack on J.J. Barea during the playoffs.

Bynum is working with noted  boxing trainer Freddie Roach to get in better condition during the lockout.

“I got a two a day tomorrow first road work in the morning, then back in the ring in the afternoon!,” about his early boxing work. “I’m going hard y’all!”

Providing the 7-foot, 285-pound Bynum with some knowledge of how to use his fists should be something that should make rival centers shudder across the NBA.

Poll: Will an NBA lockout affect your feelings as a fan?

The NBA lockout is expected to go into effect at 11:01 a.m. Friday.

On the heels of the highest-rated NBA Finals in a decade, the league’s owners and players have reached an impasse in areas involving basketball related income, cap exceptions and a hard cap, and revenue sharing.

Rookies are missing summer league play and they won’t be working out with their teams. Free agents and undrafted players are in limbo … although some may head overseas to play for pay.

How will fans react? Lockouts or strikes in other sports, notably in Major League Baseball,  have resulted in a drop in fanbase.