Ricky Rubio was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2009 NBA Draft.
Despite being an international player, Rubio was picked as a top-five pick, which should be enough for fans to realize his potential to be an excellent player in the NBA.
While Rubio impressed many with his talent when playing in Spain, he could never truly translate it throughout his 12-year stint in the NBA.
Speaking of which, Rubio recently finished his NBA career after last playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prior to announcing his retirement from the league, Rubio was on a mental health leave while struggling to recover from a torn ACL injury.
The Cavaliers did everything in their power to show support for Rubio, but the veteran guard ultimately decided to retire from the NBA in January.
Following his retirement, Rubio was recently seen training with his former team FC Barcelona Basket via NBACentral on Twitter and fans had several amazing reactions to the clip.
Ricky Rubio back on the basketball court ❤️ pic.twitter.com/CYkyZ5Et91
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 30, 2024
Keep going, Ricky
— Lakers On 𝕏 (@LakersOnX) January 30, 2024
Good luck legend!
— Clockwork (Ting dun) (@It_s_a_trap) January 30, 2024
Ricky Rubio is a streets won't forget player. Injuries and other issues probably didn't let him develop the career he could have had but he still had a great career nonetheles. Great player to watch
— Lu =3 (@lu2hott) January 30, 2024
Had it not been for injuries, his impact on the NBA would have been even more profound. I wish him, all the best in this new stage of his life
— Sunny (@Sunnysbunnys) January 30, 2024
While a plethora of fans were confused by seeing Rubio on a basketball court dispute announcing his retirement from the NBA, others felt happy to see him back.
To be fair, Rubio only retired from the NBA and clearly mentioned if he ever returned to play basketball professionally it would be for a team in Spain.
As for his NBA career, Rubio played 698 games in his career and averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
If it wasn’t for injuries, Rubio could have averaged much better numbers, but it’ll remain one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history.
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