An NBA veteran is ending his career in the league. Ricky Rubio announced his retirement on Thursday, shortly after agreeing to a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has not played at all this season after stepping away from the team to address his mental health. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, if Rubio does play professional basketball again, it will likely be in his native Spain.ย
“July 30th was one of the toughest nights of my life,” Rubio said in his statement. “My mind went to a dark place. I kind of knew I was going on that direction, but I’ve never thought I wasn’t under control of the situation. The next day, I decided to stop my professional career. One day, when the time is right, I would love to share my full experience with you all so I can help support others going through similar situations. Until then, I would like to keep it private out of respect for my family and myself, as I’m still working on my mental health. But I’m proud to say I’m doing much better and getting better everyday. I wanted to post this message for you today because my NBA career has come to an end.”
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Rubio, 33, was selected No. 5 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft. He was in Minnesota for six seasons before being traded to the Utah Jazz in June 2017. After spending two seasons in Utah, Rubio signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Phoenix Suns. He spent one season with the Suns as he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 16, 2020. After the 2020-21 season came to an end, Rubio was traded to the Cavaliers. During the season, Rubio was traded to the Indiana Pacers but didn’t play a game for them as he was dealing with a knee injury. On July 8, 2022, Rubio signed a three-year contract the the Cavaliers. He has played in just 67 games over the last seasons due to a torn ACL.ย
Rubio turned pro at 14 years old while playing in Spain. He’s the youngest player to debut in Liga ACB and was a member of the Spanish national team by the age of 17. Rubio helped Spain win a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.ย
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