Catalan point guard Ricky Rubio has announced that he will join Barça basketball training from today, without any commitment and with the aim of completing his physical and mental recovery. The player, who left the NBA a few weeks ago, has asked the Barcelona club for their collaboration to get ready for a future return to competitions.
A return home to recuperate
Ricky Rubio announced last January 4 that he was ending his time in the NBA, after disassociating himself from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team where he had been playing since last season. The point guard explained that he needed to take a break in his professional career to take care of his mental health, after suffering two serious knee injuries and experiencing a complicated personal situation.
Since then, the Masnou player has been working on his recovery, both physically and emotionally, and has now decided that it is time to enter the final phase of the process. For this reason, he has requested from Barça, his former team, the possibility to train with the first team, with whom he won the Euroleague in 2010, among other titles.
In a statement, Ricky Rubio has expressed his gratitude to the Barcelona club for their help and understanding, and has assured that he is eager and energetic to see how he reacts with a ball in his hands. For the time being, the point guard will only participate in training, with no intention of playing official matches with Barça, at least for the time being.
An impressive record
Ricky Rubio made his debut with Joventut de Badalona in the ACB at just 14 years old, becoming the youngest player to do so. After three seasons with Penya, he signed for Barça, where he played for two more years, before leaving for the NBA. With the Blaugrana team, he won six titles: two Super Cups, two Copa del Rey, an ACB League and a Euroleague, the second in the club’s history.
In the NBA, Ricky Rubio played 12 seasons, split between the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In total, he played in 712 games, averaging 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. His best year was in 2018-19, when he reached the conference semifinals with the Jazz.
With the Spanish national team, Ricky Rubio has been one of the most outstanding players of his generation, winning seven medals in international competitions. His first was silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he made his debut with the national team. He then won two European golds (2009 and 2011), a world gold (2019), where he was elected MVP, an Olympic silver (2012) and two bronzes, one European (2017) and one Olympic (2016).
Now, Ricky Rubio hopes to be able to enjoy basketball again with Barça, the team that saw him grow and succeed. The player has received the support and respect of the entire sporting world, and has shown his fortitude and commitment to his health and well-being.
