Last season was very different for me. I had a great time in Charlotte. This is very different for me after 17 years with the Spurs. And, so I knew that the time changed, and I was being very nostalgic.

And being away from the family back in San Antonio, too, that played a little bit of a role in retiring. And so, I came to a conclusion that it was just time to move on. I have a lot of great stuff in my life. A beautiful family. Beautiful kids. And so, I wanted to spend more time with them.

At the end of the season, I just knew it was time.

It’s funny because my family more than my friends, they’re like, ‘Oh, come on. Do one more. Do one more.’ Me? It’s been a long time that I’ve been at peace with that decision because I’ve prepared myself for that, too, with all the stuff that I’m doing, the two teams I own in France and my international school opening in September. I have so much stuff going on that I’ve always been at peace with that decision.

When it comes, I’ll be ready to leave it to the young guys. The game of basketball is for young guys. So, that’s why for me, I understood very early, that when it’s time to (retire), I’ll be fine with it.

I wanted to play 20 seasons and I still think I can play. I had a good season with the Hornets, and I was healthy. But at the same time, now I don’t see any reason to play 20 seasons.

For 17 years, every year that I started with the Spurs, I really thought that we had a good chance to win the championship. And so, it was very weird to arrive to a team and you’re like, ‘There is no way we’re going to win the championship.’ And even if I had a great time and the Charlotte players, they were great with me and they were great guys, at the end of the day I play basketball to win something and it’s been like that with the (French) national team when we try to compete for a gold medal or with the Spurs to win a championship.

And if I don’t play for a championship, I feel like, why are we playing? And so, that’s why it was very different for me mentally to focus and get motivated to play a game that I love because I want to win something.

It’s funny because my brother asked me ‘You don’t want to do like Dwyane and Dirk?’ And I said, ‘No, because it’s not on the Spurs’ jersey.’ So, for me, it’s different. Dwyane did it with the Miami jersey. Dirk was a Dallas jersey. So, it was a nice way to end their careers. But for me, it was kind of different because I was in there with Charlotte, so I didn’t feel like the need of having a goodbye. For me, the goodbye will be when my jersey will be retired (in San Antonio) or I make the Hall of Fame.

I feel very blessed to have played for great teams with great teammates and a great coach. What we had was very special. And it’s funny because that whole year in Charlotte, I realized even more that what we had (in San Antonio) was very, very special. We were so close as teammates. And even today, like two days ago, I was playing tennis with Timmy and Manu. We were talking about the old days and you just realize how special it was. That is 17 years together and all the wins and being the best in terms of playoff history wins and best trio, all the records. Now, I’m starting to realize a little bit, everything we accomplished.

It had a little impact, but at the same time, I still, like I told you in many interviews, I thought I was going to play my 20 seasons with the Spurs. But talking with Timmy and talking with Manu, that helped a little bit, like, ‘OK, I’m ready for this. Timmy and Manu are not playing, it’s not the same.’

When I told Tim and Manu I retire, they were like, ‘Are you sure?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m sure.’ And so, they’re like, ‘If you’re sure, man, I’m so happy for you. We had a great run and can’t wait to beat you up on tennis and spending more time together.’

I told them at lunch. We talked on the phone and then when we played tennis.

We’re always going to be remembered together. But it was great to share that moment with them. It’s crazy. We came from three different backgrounds and came together. And to see Timmy’s jersey retired and then Manu …it was very emotional to go to Manu’s jersey retirement and you go through all the moments and you think about what you going to say. It was just nice to share that moment with them.

I don’t know how my retirement jersey is going to be like. It’s going to be hard to imagine. But it’s going to be the last time that we can celebrate ‘The Big Three’ in that era. So, I hope it’s going to be a special night for everybody.

The conversation with Michael Jordan was good. He understood. For everybody, they’re just happy for me. When I told coach JB, he was just happy for me because I had a good career and was healthy most of my career. And so, they asked me, ‘Are you in peace with that decision?’ And, ‘Yes, I’m in peace with that decision.’ I feel very good about the decision and I know that I’m not going to miss basketball.

My body feels great. I can easily play two more years. Easy, easy. Physically, I feel fine and especially with the role that I have of being a backup and JB managed me this season. I can easily do two more years. But for me, I just don’t want to play just to play and I never play basketball like that. I never played basketball for money and I never played basketball just to have fun. I want to win.

I’m going to live in San Antonio. We live in San Antonio. It will be home, that will always be home. So, I’m definitely going to stay in San Antonio and then I’ll just travel.

It’s home. I arrived here 19-years-old and they embraced me. They treated me like their son and it’s always gonna be home. It is family.

I’ll always have great memories, you know. When I came back, I still remember the day, January 14 when I came back with the Hornets, it was unbelievable the love that they showed through that game. I felt like my jersey was being retired. It was unbelievable. I can’t wait for the real date to see them one more time and celebrate them. I always say they’re the best fans in the NBA and we won four championships together and I’ll always remember it.

I’m glad I went to Charlotte. It was a great experience. I met some great people and I really appreciate Michael giving me the opportunity and Mitch Kupchak and JB. It was a great, great time. The guys were great. I don’t regret anything because I really wanted to play and I really wanted to show that I can still play. I had a good season. I was healthy. I don’t regret anything.

And it’s funny, in a way, I feel like the fact that I went to Charlotte, I feel like in San Antonio, they love me more.

My career was better than any dream that I had when I was a kid. When I first arrived in NBA, I was like, ‘Man, if I can be a good little player. Be a good backup. I’ll be happy with that.’ I was just happy to be in the NBA. I never thought I’ll be a starter or be the youngest point guard to start in the NBA or the first European to be NBA Finals MVP; I never dreamed about that.

I hope that I had a good impact on France and Europe with Dirk and Pau (Gasol). After we arrived, it exploded. Now you have more than 80 international players, 12 French guys in the NBA. So, I always took it seriously, my role of being a good ambassador for French basketball.

People don’t realize that I grew up with nothing. We had nothing growing up and it was rough times. But I think that’s what give me the motivation to make it in life because I wanted my family to have a better life. And I think Pop saw that very early in me when he first interviewing me. I think that’s why Pop was so hard on me because he knew that he can go even over the line with me because he knew that I will stay motivated and wanted to make it whatever happened. And he threw everything at me, and I was always there and ready to go.

My greatest memory ? I will say the four championships, obviously, and the gold medal with the French national team because it was the first time in the French basketball history that we win a gold medal (in the 2013 Eurobasket Championship).

The biggest disappointment? I will say Game 6 against Miami in 2013. And then with the national team, I’ll say, 2005 against Greece. We were up seven with 40 seconds and we lost the game. That would be – that could have been, you know, my first gold medal back in the day. That’d be the two toughest losses.

We came back in 2014 and we won it. We made up for it, kind of. That was maybe a great opportunity to do it back-to-back. It shows a lot of character, the way we lost in 2013 and to come back like that and play the same team and we basically destroyed them in 2014 playing the beautiful game.

I will mostly miss winning. Winning. It never gets old and so, that’s why it was nice to win with my women’s team because winning championships is hard to explain to somebody how you feel. As a player, it was great to win championship and now, as an owner, when you build from scratch everything, I’m happier for them. It’s priceless to see their faces. But it never gets old. Winning championships never gets old.