Ricard Rubio Vives (born 21 October 1990) is a Spanish professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the
Spanish ACB League on 15 October 2005, at age 14. He made his
EuroLeague debut on 24 October 2006, a few days after turning 16, making him
one of the youngest players to make their debut in the EuroLeague in its current format.
On 25 June 2009, Rubio was drafted with the fifth pick in the first round of the
2009 NBA draft by the
Minnesota Timberwolves, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted by the NBA. The Timberwolves had an agreement in principle with his former Spanish team,
DKV Joventut
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as ''La Penya'' (in English, ''The Club''), it is one of only two teams ...
, to buy out his contract, but Rubio backed out of the deal.
On 31 August 2009, Joventut traded the rights to Rubio to FC Barcelona,
and Rubio signed a six-year contract with
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
the following day.
In 2011, Rubio joined the Timberwolves,
and spent six seasons in Minnesota before being traded to the
Utah Jazz in June 2017. He signed with the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
in July 2019, before returning to Minnesota in 2020. Rubio was traded to the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
in August 2021, but was dealt to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...
a month after suffering a season ending ACL injury in December.
Professional career
Joventut (2005–2009)
Rubio debuted in the
Spanish ACB League in the 2005–06 season with
DKV Joventut
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as ''La Penya'' (in English, ''The Club''), it is one of only two teams ...
. Rubio was the youngest player ever to debut in the ACB, at 14 years and 11 months. He won the
FIBA EuroChallenge championship with Joventut that year. He led the Spanish ACB League in steals during the 2006–07 season. He also won the Spanish ACB League's
Rising Star Award that season. Rubio was also named the
FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He made his
EuroLeague debut on 24 October 2006, versus
Panathinaikos of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
as Joventut's backup point guard for
Elmer Bennett
Elmer James Bennett (born February 13, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. At a height of 6'0" (1.83 m), he played at the point guard position.
High school
Bennett played competitively for Bellaire High School, in Bella ...
. He became the fifth-youngest EuroLeague player at the time. Rubio averaged 2.8 assists per game in his first season of EuroLeague play. He won the
EuroCup championship with Joventut in 2008. He was also voted
the Spanish ACB League's best point guard in 2008 and 2010. He won the
2009–10 EuroLeague with FC Barcelona.
Despite his notability, he was carefully shielded.
DKV Joventut
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as ''La Penya'' (in English, ''The Club''), it is one of only two teams ...
and Rubio's parents agreed not to make him available for interviews until his 18th birthday on 21 October 2008.
The restrictions were ended a few months early once he was selected for the
Spain national team that would play at the
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...
.
Rubio won the 2008
Mr. Europa Award
The Mister Europa European Player of the Year Award was an annual basketball award created in 1976, and given until 2010, by the panel of journalists of the Italian weekly magazine ''Superbasket''. Its purpose was to praise the best basketball pl ...
, which was given out yearly by the Italian
Superbasket Magazine. In 2009, his club Badalona raised the amount of money his contract paid per year from 80,000 euros
net income
In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest ...
to 300,000 euros net income. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the Spanish ACB League 2008–09 season, and he also led the league in steals that season. Rubio declared himself eligible for the
2009 NBA draft on 20 April 2009. Rubio's agent during that time was
Dan Fegan.
Barcelona (2009–2011)
After the 2009 NBA draft, Rubio played for the
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
for the next two seasons as agreed upon with the
Minnesota Timberwolves. During that time, he helped the team win the
EuroLeague Championship in 2010 and the
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, ...
Championship in 2011.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–2017)
On 24 June 2009, the
Minnesota Timberwolves acquired the fifth pick in the
2009 NBA draft,
Etan Thomas
Dedrick Etan Thomas (born April 1, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a published poet ...
,
Darius Songaila and
Oleksiy Pecherov from the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
, in exchange for
Randy Foye and
Mike Miller. With the 5th pick, Minnesota selected Rubio, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted. The Timberwolves had a total of four first round picks in the 2009 NBA draft. They used the 6th and 18th picks in the first round and chose two other point guards,
Jonny Flynn
Jonny William Flynn (born February 6, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. A three-year National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran, he last played for the Orlandina Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A and played collegia ...
from
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
* Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
* Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
and
Ty Lawson from
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
, surprising many in the NBA.
Lawson's draft rights were soon traded to the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
.
The Timberwolves then used the 28th pick to select
Wayne Ellington, a shooting guard from
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
.
The following day, Rubio's father told a Spanish media outlet his son might return to Spain for at least one more season.
Rubio did not attend an introductory press conference by the Timberwolves.
Rubio had a buyout clause in his Joventut contract reported by various media outlets as ranging from $6.6 million to $8.2 million, and Timberwolves general manager
David Kahn admitted Rubio would probably have to play one more season in Spain to reduce or avoid the buyout.
On 22 July, the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
reported Rubio was seeking to leave Joventut, regardless of whether he was able to come to the NBA. The report indicated that the
ACB powers
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
and
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
were both interested in signing Rubio if he could not immediately go to the NBA. The main stumbling block to Rubio's NBA move was a clause in the league's collective bargaining agreement that prohibited a team from paying more than $500,000 toward a player's contract buyout. Barça and Real, as ACB clubs, were not subject to this rule and could pay far more toward a buyout. In another development, the ''
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, ...
'' reported on 4 August Rubio's representatives had been actively seeking endorsement deals in Minnesota to help finance his buyout (the NBA buyout rules are binding on teams, but not on third parties).
However, on 31 August 2009,
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
reported Rubio would not come to the NBA until 2011 at the earliest.
Joventut expressed a willingness to reduce the buyout, and the Timberwolves apparently had a deal to bring him to the NBA, but in the end Rubio did not feel ready to cross the Atlantic. Rubio issued the following statement:
Kahn believed Rubio and his family were being pressured by the Spanish media, his national teammates, and people in his hometown to stay in Spain, adding, "It's just been a tough summer. From an 18-year-old's perspective and his family's perspective, it was very nerve-racking".
ESPN reported his original buyout with Joventut was
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
5.7 million ($8.1 million) in both 2009 and 2010.
Barça bought out Rubio's contract for €3.5 million ($5.0 million), and announced on September 1 he had signed a six-year deal with the club. The contract gave him the option to go to the NBA after the 2010–11 season,
with ESPN reporting the buyout at that time would be a more manageable $1.4 million (of which the Timberwolves could pay $500,000).
2011–12 season
On 1 June 2011, sources reported Rubio had "reached an agreement with Minnesota to join the Timberwolves" for the
2011–12 NBA season.
Rubio arrived off a plane in Minnesota to a barrage of fans waiting to welcome him to America.
On 17 June 2011, Rubio held a press conference announcing he had signed with Minnesota.
Becoming the 10th Spanish NBA player, Rubio made his regular season debut on 26 December 2011, to a sellout crowd at the
Target Center, the team's first sellout crowd since the 2007–08 season. Rubio recorded 6 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 26 minutes in a 4-point loss to the
Oklahoma City Thunder. He was named Western Conference
Rookie of the Month after the first month of the season.
In February, Rubio and teammate
Derrick Williams were selected to participate in the 2012 Rising Stars challenge. Rubio was drafted to Team
Shaq, while Williams was drafted to Team
Chuck. Rubio scored 22 points on 19 February 2012 in a win over the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
. In a loss to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
on 9 March 2012, Rubio tore his
ACL and his
lateral collateral ligament defending
Kobe Bryant. He missed the rest of the season.
Rubio finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
rookie
Kyrie Irving.
Rubio had averaged 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals in 41 games.
2012–13 season
Rubio returned from his injury on 15 December 2012, in an overtime victory over the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...
, playing for 19 minutes and totaling 9 assists and 8 points. He then recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over the San Antonio Spurs on 13 March 2013. Rubio almost recorded his second career triple-double in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on March 30 with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Then on 13 April, he recorded a then career-high 24 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals in a win over the Phoenix Suns. Rubio finished the
2012–13 season with averages of 10.7 points, 7.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He also finished second in steals per game, behind
Chris Paul.
2013–14 season
On 11 November 2013, Rubio recorded his second career triple-double with 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in a 113–90 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.
On 19 February 2014, Rubio recorded a career-high 17 assists, along with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, in a 104–91 win over the Indiana Pacers. Rubio also tied the Timberwolves' franchise record with his 17 assists. On 19 March 2014, Rubio recorded his third career triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a 123–122 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. On 28 March 2014, Rubio tied
Tyrone Corbin for the Wolves season-record in steals at 175 with his one steal in a 143–107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Two days later, he passed that record when he recorded 2 steals against the Brooklyn Nets.
2014–15 season
On 31 October 2014, Rubio signed a four-year, $56 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. On i November 2014, he was ruled out indefinitely after he severely sprained his left ankle in the 7 November game loss to the Orlando Magic. Rubio returned to action on 2 February 2015 against the Dallas Mavericks, recording 10 points and 4 assists in a 100–94 loss. On 2 March 2015, he recorded his fourth career triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He later underwent surgery on his ankle in April 2015.
2015–16 season
On 28 October 2015, Rubio scored a then career-high 28 points in a season opening win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He later missed four games with a sore left knee, returning to action on 17 November. On 16 December, he recorded a near quadruple-double with 12 assists, 10 rebounds, 9 points and 8 steals in a loss to the New York Knicks. On 30 December, he tied a career high with 17 assists in a 94–80 win over the Utah Jazz. Having recorded 14 assists two nights prior in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Rubio became the first Wolves player with at least 14 assists in consecutive games since
Terrell Brandon did so in April 1999. On 11 March 2016, Rubio's three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining lifted the Timberwolves to a 99–96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished with 13 points and 12 assists for his eighth double-double of the season, as the Timberwolves snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Thunder. On 14 March against the Phoenix Suns, for the fourth time in his career, Rubio had a 17-assist effort.
2016–17 season
On 11 January 2017, in a win over the Houston Rockets, Rubio had a 17-assist effort for the fifth time in his career. Rubio also passed
Sam Mitchell to move into fourth place on the team's career games played list with 292. On 30 January 2017, he made a then career-high six three-pointers to lead the Timberwolves to a 111–105 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. On 4 March 2017, he recorded his fifth career triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 97–90 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On 13 March 2017, Rubio scored 22 points and broke his own franchise record with 19 assists in a 119–104 win over the Washington Wizards. Two days later, he had a season-high 23 points in a 117–104 loss to the Boston Celtics. On 30 March 2017, Rubio had a then career-high 33 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a 119–104 win over the Lakers.
Utah Jazz (2017–2019)
On 30 June 2017, Rubio was traded to the
Utah Jazz in exchange for a 2018 first-round draft pick. On 1 November 2017, Rubio scored a season-high 30 points in a 112–103 overtime win over the
Portland Trail Blazers. On 3 February 2018, he set a new season high with 34 points in a 120–111 win over the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
. On 11 March 2018, he had 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 116–99 win over the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. In Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the
Oklahoma City Thunder, Rubio had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, as the Jazz took a 2–1 lead in the series with a 115–102 win. Rubio's triple-double was the first by a Jazz player in the postseason since
John Stockton in the 2001 playoffs against Dallas. In Game 6, Rubio suffered a left hamstring injury that rendered him out for the remainder of the playoffs.
Phoenix Suns (2019–2020)
On 8 July 2019, Rubio signed with the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
on a three-year, $51 million contract. On 23 October, Rubio put up 11 points and 11 assists in a 124–95 win over the
Sacramento Kings. His 11 assists tied
Elliot Perry
Elliot Lamonte Perry (born March 28, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player.
The 6'0" (1.83 m) point guard from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), was selected with the tenth pick of the second round (3 ...
as the only players to put up a double-double with 11 assists in a Suns debut game. On 16 December, Rubio put up his first triple-double with the Suns with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in a 111–110 loss to the
Portland Trail Blazers. On 24 February 2020, Rubio put up 22 points, 11 assists, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds in a 131–111 win over his former team, the
Utah Jazz. He became the first Suns player to put up at least 20+ points, 10+ assists, and 7+ steals in a game since
Kevin Johnson back in 1996. Rubio recorded his second triple-double with the Suns on 8 March with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 140–131 win over the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
.
On 23 June 2020, the Suns reported that two of their own players tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
. In a 22 July interview, Rubio revealed himself as one of the two players to test positive for the COVID-19 virus. However, Rubio would rejoin the team in the
2020 NBA Bubble removed from the virus during the team's scrimmage games for the resumed season, eventually returning on 31 July as a starter in a 125–112 win over the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
.
Second stint with Minnesota (2020–2021)
On 16 November 2020, Rubio was traded to the
Oklahoma City Thunder alongside
Jalen Lecque
Jalen Evander Lecque (born June 13, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. A consensus four-star recruit and former NC State commit, Lecque chose to forgo college basketball and ...
,
Kelly Oubre Jr.,
Ty Jerome, and a 2022 first-round draft pick in a trade for
Chris Paul and
Abdel Nader. Two days later, Rubio and the draft rights to
Jaden McDaniels
Jaden McDaniels (born September 29, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. He attended Federal ...
and
Immanuel Quickley
Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (born June 17, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
High school career
While at ...
were traded to the
Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for
James Johnson, the draft rights to
Aleksej Pokuševski, and Minnesota's 2024 second-round selection.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2021–present)
On 3 August 2021, Rubio was traded to the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
in exchange for
Taurean Prince
Taurean Waller-Prince (born March 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. He was drafted by the Utah J ...
, a 2022 second round pick, and cash considerations. On 7 November, Rubio scored 37 points and made eight three-pointers, both career highs, alongside 10 assists in a 126–109 win over the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. On 13 December, Rubio recorded his 5,000th career assist. On 28 December, he tore his left ACL during a game between the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, and the next day, it was confirmed to be a season-ending injury.
On February 6, 2022, Rubio was traded to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...
along with a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for
Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick. Due to his knee injury, he never played a game for the team.
On July 8, 2022, Rubio signed to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year, $18 million contract.
National team career
Junior national team
In August 2006, Rubio led the rising junior Spain national team to the
FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. During the tournament Rubio achieved two
triple-doubles and a
quadruple-double. In the 110–106 double overtime finale victory over Russia, Rubio scored 51 points, the first player to do so in
FIBA
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...
junior tournaments since
Luol Deng (in 2001), grabbed 24 rebounds, made 12 assists, and stole the ball 7 times. He also forced the first overtime with a three-point, buzzer-beating shot from mid-court. Rubio was then named the
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
of the tournament after leading it in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Senior national team
The young Spaniard competed internationally with the senior
Spain National Team at the
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
. The team included current and former NBA players such as
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...
,
José Calderón,
Rudy Fernández,
Marc Gasol,
Raúl López,
Jorge Garbajosa
Jorge Garbajosa Chaparro (born December 19, 1977), also known as The Pornoplayer, is a Spanish former professional basketball player and the current president of the Spanish Basketball Federation. Standing at 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in), he p ...
, and
Juan Carlos Navarro.
He played in the 2008 Olympics Basketball Tournament's gold medal game against the
USA's "Redeem Team", and at 17 became the youngest player in an Olympic basketball final. The team took the silver medal after a loss at the gold, 118–107. The team continued international play at the
EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, where Spain defeated
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
for the gold medal, 85–63. Rubio's contribution averaged 22.7 minutes, 5.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Rubio led Spain to a gold medal in the
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 that did no ...
in China. They beat Argentina in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
, 95–75. Rubio was chosen as one of the FIBA World Cup All-Star Five alongside Serbian's
Bogdan Bogdanovic, France's
Evan Fournier, Spain's
Marc Gasol, and Argentina's
Luis Scola. He was also named the
World Cup MVP.
Player profile
Rubio was regarded by some as the best European guard prospect ever. Rubio has been compared by some to
Pete Maravich.
Personal life
In May 2016, Rubio's mother Tona Vives died at the age of 56. He has a sister named Laia. On 14 January 2020, Rubio's wife Sara gave birth to their son.
In the summer of 2020 Rubio revealed he had the coronavirus prior to playing basketball in the Orlando bubble.
Awards and accomplishments
Joventut
*
Spanish King's Cup:
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
*
FIBA EuroChallenge:
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
*
ULEB Cup:
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
*
Catalan Cup Tournament: 2005, 2007, 2008
FC Barcelona Basquet
*
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, ...
:
2010–11
*
Spanish King's Cup:
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
*
EuroLeague:
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
*
Spanish Supercup
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
:
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
*
Catalan Cup Tournament: 2009, 2010
Spain junior national team
*
2005 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship:
*
2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship:
Spain senior national team
*
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
:
*
EuroBasket 2009:
*
EuroBasket 2011
EuroBasket 2011 was the 37th men's European Basketball Championship, held by FIBA Europe. The competition was hosted by Lithuania. This was the second time EuroBasket had been held in Lithuania, the country having also hosted the 1939 ch ...
:
*
EuroBasket 2013:
*
2016 Summer Olympics
)
, nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams)
, athletes = 11,238
, events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines)
, opening = 5 August 2016
, closing = 21 August 2016
, opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...
:
*
EuroBasket 2017:
*
World Cup 2019 :
Personal awards
*
MVP of the
2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: he averaged 22.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 6.5 steals. In the final, accumulated 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals.
*2× led the
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, ...
in
steals: (2007, 2009)
*Won the Spanish ACB League
Rising Star Award: (2007)
*3×
FIBA European Young Player of the Year: (2007, 2008, 2009)
*2×
All-Spanish ACB League Team: (2008, 2010)
*
Mister Europa Player of the Year: (2008)
*Spanish ACB League Defensive Player of the Year: (2009)
*Catalan Cup Tournament
MVP: (2009)
*
EuroLeague Rising Star
The EuroLeague Rising Star in an annual award of the EuroLeague, which is the top-tier level European-wide professional club basketball league, that is given to the player the EuroLeague deems its "top rising star". The award began in the 2004 ...
: (2010)
*
ACB Most Spectacular Player: (2010)
*2011–12 NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month: December, January
*2019
FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP
*2019
FIBA Basketball World Cup All-Tournament Team
*
Summer Olympics All-Star Team (
2020)
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 41 , , 31 , , 34.2 , , .357 , , .340 , , .803 , , 4.2 , , 8.2 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , 10.6
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 57 , , 47 , , 29.7 , , .360 , , .293 , , .799 , , 4.0 , , 7.3 , , 2.4 , , .1 , , 10.7
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 32.2 , , .381 , , .331 , , .802 , , 4.2 , , 8.6 , , 2.3 , , .1 , , 9.5
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 22 , , 22 , , 31.5 , , .356 , , .255 , , .803 , , 5.7 , , 8.8 , , 1.7 , , .0 , , 10.3
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 76 , , 76 , , 30.6 , , .374 , , .326 , , .847 , , 4.3 , , 8.7 , , 2.1 , , .1 , , 10.1
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 75 , , 75 , , 32.9 , , .402 , , .306 , , .891 , , 4.3 , , 9.1 , , 1.7 , , .1 , , 11.1
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, 77 , , 77 , , 29.3 , , .418 , , .352 , , .866 , , 4.6 , , 5.3 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 13.1
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, 68 , , 67 , , 27.9 , , .404 , , .311 , , .855 , , 3.6 , , 6.1 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 12.7
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Phoenix
, 57 , , 57 , , 31.6 , , .412 , , .351 , , .853 , , 4.6 , , 8.9 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 13.0
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 68 , , 51 , , 26.1 , , .388 , , .308 , , .867 , , 3.3 , , 6.4 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 8.6
, -
, align="left" ,
, align="left" ,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 34 , , 8 , , 28.5 , , .363 , , .339 , , .854 , , 4.1 , , 6.6 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 13.1
, -
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 665 , , 601 , , 30.3 , , .389 , , .326 , , .843 , , 4.2 , , 7.6 , , 1.8 , , .1 , , 11.1
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 30.2 , , .354 , , .313 , , .783 , , 7.3 , , 7.0 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 14.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2019
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 33.5 , , .424 , , .200 , , .850 , , 3.2 , , 8.6 , , 2.4 , , .2 , , 15.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 11 , , 11 , , 31.7 , , .386 , , .269 , , .814 , , 5.5 , , 7.7 , , 1.8 , , .4 , , 14.6
EuroLeague
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2006–07
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2,
Joventut
, 16 , , 0 , , 18.9 , , .348 , , .167 , , .767 , , 2.4 , , 2.8 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 3.2 , , .1 , , 3.6 , , 7.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2008–09
, 5 , , 2 , , 13.3 , , .300 , , .333 , , .625 , , 2.4 , , 2.8 , , 1.8 , , .0 , , 2.4 , , 6.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;",
2009–10†
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2,
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, 22 , , 22 , , 20.9 , , .370 , , .358 , , .893 , , 2.9 , , 4.1 , , 1.4 , , .0 , , 6.8 , , 10.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2010–11
, 20 , , 17 , , 22.7 , , .310 , , .224 , , .836 , , 3.3 , , 3.5 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 6.5 , , 9.6
, -
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 63 , , 41 , , 20.4 , , .341 , , .276 , , .832 , , 2.8 , , 3.5 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , 5.5 , , 9.2
See also
*
List of European basketball players in the United States
This is a list of European basketball players who have played in the United States at either professional or NCAA Division I level. It is intended to include players who are currently active, whether inside or outside the U.S., and former player ...
*
List of youngest EuroLeague players
References
External links
Rubio's official websiteRicky Rubioat euroleague.net
Ricky Rubio at acb.com
at fiba.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubio, Ricky
1990 births
Living people
2010 FIBA World Championship players
2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players
Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Catalonia
Cleveland Cavaliers players
FC Barcelona Bàsquet players
FIBA Basketball World Cup-winning players
FIBA EuroBasket-winning players
Joventut Badalona players
Liga ACB players
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks
Minnesota Timberwolves players
National Basketball Association players from Spain
Olympic basketball players of Spain
Olympic bronze medalists for Spain
Olympic medalists in basketball
Olympic silver medalists for Spain
People from El Masnou
Sportspeople from the Province of Barcelona
Phoenix Suns players
Point guards
Spanish expatriate basketball people in the United States
Spanish men's basketball players
Utah Jazz players