SAN ANTONIO - Argentina national team great Manu Ginobili has announced his retirement from basketball.

The Most Valuable Player of the 2004 Olympics after leading his country to the gold medal in Athens, Ginobili last featured for the national side at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

On Monday, Ginobili, also a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002 runner-up, tweeted he was drawing the curtain on his famous career, one that saw him capture four titles with the San Antonio Spurs, his only club of 16 NBA seasons.

From the beginning of his career right until the end, Ginobili was an amazing player to watch.

The 6ft 6in (1.98m) wingman hails from Bahia Blanca, the basketball hotbed of Argentina, where he played for Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca from 1996-98.

His first major tournament with his country was the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1998 in Athens.

He remained across the Atlantic to compete in Italy, signing first for Italian side Viola Reggio Calabria (1998-2000) and then Virtus Bologna (2000-2002).

After leading Argentina into the Final of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002 in Indianapolis, where the former Yugoslavia beat the South American team 84-77 after overtime, Ginobili joined the Spurs. Named to the All-NBA Rookie Second Team, his performances in the post-season were crucial for San Antonio as they won the second title in club history.

"HE'S BEEN THE BEST PLAYER IN ARGENTINIAN HISTORY…EVERYBODY THAT KNOWS HIM KNOWS WHAT A GREAT PERSON AND TEAMMATE HE IS. THAT IS WHAT I KEEP MORE THAN WHAT HE WAS AS A PLAYER."- Argentina teammate Andres Nocioni

Ginobili was named Argentina's Olimpia de Oro as their sportsman of the Year in 2003, yet the best was still to come.

In 2004 in Greece, Ginobili averaged 19.2 points per game and fired his homeland to the Olympic gold medal. In the Semi-Final against the USA, he poured in 29 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the floor, drilling 4 of 6 three-pointers and also nailing 7 of 8 free-throws as Argentina beat the three-time defending champions, 89-81. Argentina then beat Italy, 84-69, in the Gold Medal Game.

Ginobili for the second straight year was honored with the Olimpia de Oro.

Argentina came within a whisker of reaching the Final at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006  in Japan. Ginobili scored 21 points but on the game's final play, he drove into the lane and instead of shooting, passed to Andres Nocioni in the right corner and his attempt from the arc only drew iron to preserve Spain's 75-74 triumph.

The United States, upset by Greece in the other Semi-Final, 101-95, defeated Argentina, 96-81, in the 3rd-Place Game.

Two years later, Ginobili played at the Beijing Olympics and led his country into another Semi-Final showdown against the USA. He got hurt early in the contest, however, and played only six minutes as Argentina fell 101-81. With an emotional Ginobili in street clothes and cheering wildly from the bench, Argentina bounced back to defeat Lithuania, 87-75, in the Bronze Medal Game.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Ginobili was the tournament's third-leading scorer at 19.4 points per game and Argentina reached the Semi-Finals to face the USA again, only to be blown out, 109-83. An Andrei Kirilenko-led Russia then kept Ginobili and his team off the podium, winning their Bronze Medal Game showdown, 81-77, despite Ginobili's 21 points.

The veteran's last Olympic and national team appearance, in front of many traveling Argentina fans in Rio, saw him average 15 points per game but the team fell to the USA in the Quarter-Finals, 105-78.

"I KNEW THIS MOMENT WOULD COME. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE PREPARED BUT TODAY, I REALIZE THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THANK YOU FOR SO MUCH, MG!"- Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez

Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world for Ginobili, with most coming from Argentina and the NBA.

"He's been the best player in Argentinian history," Argentina teammate Andres Nocioni said to Sportia. "On the court, he was a player that would raise the level of a team one or two notches. Any team was something with him and something else without him. Everybody that knows him knows what a great person and teammate he is. That is what I keep more than what he was as a player.

"What he did on and off the court was incredible and admirable," Argentina teammate Carlos Delfino said. "Manu was the best. It was very easy and truly beautiful playing with him. We're all a little bit shocked. Our romantic side is very nostalgic today because we will never see him play basketball again, which is what we liked."

Argentina national team coaches past and present, Julio Lamas and Sergio Hernandez, thanked the star player.

"I knew this moment would come," Hernandez said." I thought I would be prepared but today I realize that that's not the case. Thank you for so much, MG!"

Lamas tweeted: "As he said, 'I reached further than in my wildest dreams' and that was the case. He took the level of the game further than we could ever imagine. Thank you for the immense addition to the national team, which is even greater than the unforgettable results."

As well as winning four NBA championships, Ginobili was an All-Star in 2005 and 2011 and also the Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. Many of his NBA teammates, and rivals, including FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006 MVP Pau Gasol former USA and Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, saluted Ginobili.

Ginobili's biggest fan was his wife, Marianela 'Many' Orono.

She tweeted: "Whether it was from our sofa at home or a tribune in an arena somewhere in the world, or from Seat 12, Row 11 of Section 24 at the AT&T Center ... it was a pleasure to see you shine so close. I love you."

FIBA