On August 24, 2008 in Beijing, in front of the basketball monuments Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old kid presented himself: Ricky Rubio. He is the leader of a Spanish team which will play eye to eye with the Americans, during this Olympic final, considered “the most beautiful match of all time”.
“ I wasn't afraid and I would say I didn't see the bad side. I always thought of the good parts and I enjoyed this finale », Describes, more than 15 years later, the Spaniard to The Athletic who devotes a long article to his NBA career. Career which officially ended at the beginning of January, with the player's announcement to stop “ [s]we professional activity to take care of [s]mental health “.
He who is returning to training with Barcelona says nothing more today about the demons that have altered his psychological balance. He who says he has “ always tried to be positive “. “ Sometimes I would lie to myself and say, 'Don't feel that way because it might stop you. … Ultimately, if you lie to yourself, it can catch up with you in a bad way, like what happened to me. So you have to be true to yourself », he explains.
In the Spanish league from 14 years old
When he was younger, did he even have the opportunity to fully be himself and express his feelings (“ Maybe because I'm a very sensitive person, but I've had to hide my feelings sometimes and that doesn't stop me from performing well. ) outside of the basketball courts? The then teenager was just 14 when he made his debut in the Spanish ACB league in 2005, the youngest player in the competition's history.
Named best young FIBA European three times (2007, 2008 and 2009), Ricky Rubio was swept away by a sporting whirlwind over which he had no control: “ It came so quickly and so naturally that I didn't even have time to think about whether I wanted to become a professional. It was 'I'm professional.' »
Looking back, Ricky Rubio wonders if being thrust into the spotlight so young prevented him from having the chance to be a child. “ It's hard and difficult to do because sometimes you probably only get one chance in life. If you don't jump on that train, you don't know what would have happened. But I would have liked to enjoy this stage of my life more », admits the playmaker, who regrets not having been “ more honest » with himself.
Still the “goosebumps”
A “train” which introduced him to more or less happy experiences in the big league, in Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and finally Cleveland. Everywhere he went, the man who was never known for his qualities as a shooter made people talk about his qualities as an outstanding passer. And thus to find a place among the “pure” playmakers who count in the NBA.
But his inner demons and those days when everything was dark ”, which still give it the “ goosebumps ”, ended up catching up with him: “ I was lost. I didn't know who I was. I had to rebuild myself. I think a lot of people end up having this point in their life where they have to rebuild themselves because they've lost sight of their life's purpose. Fortunately, I stopped in time. »
So at 33, leaving a train which perhaps did not take him to the imagined destination. “ Sometimes I wish I had a better NBA career. Sometimes I wish I had a title. Sometimes I think about my career, but at the end of the day, I had a lot of fun. I had fun. Were there any difficult times? Of course. It's not a perfect story. But I learned a lot, made a lot of friends and grew a lot. […] I'm still recovering from a big shock, but I know that basketball is a big part of who I am. »
| Ricky Rubio | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | MIN | 41 | 34 | 35.7 | 34.0 | 80.3 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 8.2 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| 2012-13 | MIN | 57 | 30 | 36.0 | 29.3 | 79.9 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 7.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 10.7 |
| 2013-14 | MIN | 82 | 32 | 38.1 | 33.1 | 80.2 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 9.5 |
| 2014-15 | MIN | 22 | 32 | 35.6 | 25.5 | 80.3 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 8.8 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 10.3 |
| 2015-16 | MIN | 76 | 31 | 37.4 | 32.6 | 84.7 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 10.1 |
| 2016-17 | MIN | 75 | 33 | 40.2 | 30.6 | 89.1 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 9.1 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 11.2 |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 77 | 29 | 41.8 | 35.2 | 86.6 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 13.1 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 68 | 28 | 40.4 | 31.1 | 85.5 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 6.1 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 12.7 |
| 2019-20 | PHX | 65 | 31 | 41.5 | 36.1 | 86.3 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 8.8 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 13.0 |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 68 | 26 | 38.8 | 30.8 | 86.7 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 6.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 8.6 |
| 2021-22 | KEY | 34 | 29 | 36.3 | 33.9 | 85.4 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 13.1 |
| Total | 665 | 30 | 38.9 | 32.6 | 84.3 | 0.6 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 7.6 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 11.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
