Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are both nearer to retirement than to their peak years when they helped lead the Spurs to three championships together.
Duncan had a part in four NBA titles with the franchise, while Ginobili joined him for the last three titles.
Both will go down in history among the handful of greatest players to ever play for the franchise. They likely will both have their numbers retired by the team and should end up in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when their careers conclude.
But Duncan and Ginobili still have some basketball to be played before they decide to retire.
That remaining talent led Orange County Register NBA reporter Kevin Deng to list both Duncan and Ginobili among the in a recent list for the newspaper’s website.
and in his compilation of top players.
Here’s his list of the top 10 players 30 or older in the league.
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. Kevin Garnett, Boston
5. Paul Pierce, Boston
6. Zach Randolph, Memphis
7. Joe Johnson, Atlanta
8. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio
9. Tim Duncan San Antonio
10. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
11. Steve Nash, Phoenix
12. Luis Scola, Houston
13. David West, New Orleans
14. Caron Butler, Dallas
15. Ray Allen, Boston
16. Jason Kidd, Dallas
17. Chauncey Billups, New York
18. Jason Terry, Dallas
19. Stephen Jackson, Milwaukee
20. Elton Brand, Philadelphia
It’s a strong list and the fact that Ginobili and Duncan are ranked as highly as they are indicates that they still have some basketball ability left to contribute to the Spurs.
How much, we don’t know. But over the rest of their careers, Spurs Nation should savor the contributions of these two players who have been so important to the franchise over the years.