San Antonio Spurs center Pau Gasol gave Manu Ginobili a vote of appreciation after the Argentinian star announced his retirement.

Gasol, who recently published his new book Bajo El Aro [“Below The Rim”] noted his appreciation for his teammate of two years, though having watched him during all his years in the league.

Note: These quotes have been translated, some of which may have gotten lost during the process.

“Manu is a terrific player, an exceptional player with an incredible career, who has put his stamp on an era, not only in Argentina, but in the world stage of basketball,” said Pau Gasol, according to AFP. “I have a special love for him. He is a full-fledged man, worthy of admiration. He's given it all, he's played until he was 41 years old — an example to follow. I hope he inspires a ton of kids in Argentina and other places.”

This offseason saw Gasol lose four of his veteran teammates in Tony Parker, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, all playing elsewhere while Manu Ginobili hung them up for good.

“There's been a lot of changes for the team,” said Gasol. “The departures of Manu and Tony will be undoubtedly felt, not only in the hardwood, but in the locker room. Their ability to lead, the fortitude they bring as a team, we'll have to see how we make up for it.”

“We have a rejuvenated team now. I think we can take a step forward and surprise a lot of people.”

The Spurs will now work with the newly-assembled dynamic duo of Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan starring in the backcourt, while it's still unclear if Gasol will start at center or open the way for the newly-acquired Jakob Poeltl to make the starting five.