‘The player ate the person:’ Ricky Rubio opens up about leaving the NBA

Highlights

• Ricky Rubio developed chronic stress & returned to Spain due to mental health
• Underwent identity crisis after NBA injury, leading to existential questions
• Known for his stellar NBA playmaking, Rubio struggles with leg injuries & trades

On Monday, 12-year NBA veteran Ricky Rubio cleared the air about the mental health crisis that led to him first taking time away from the Cleveland Cavaliers before he decided to leave the league altogether.

Having officially signed a contract with FC Barcelona (also known as Barca), the 33-year-old told BasketNews that he “developed a chronic stress, something similar to an anxiety disruption” during his introductory press conference with the basketball club.

“The only way to come back was understanding why I got to this point,” Rubio says, alluding to his nearly year-long absence from the sport.

“The player ate the person. I didn’t know who I was. It was a difficult moment for me. I had fear. You are able to handle your fears and play down them. Life is full of greys. But I have saved myself, and now I am at ease. I am proud of myself, and I give basketball a new chance.”-Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio leaves the NBA

Rubio’s return to Spain isn’t as much of a question as the timeline that led to that decision

A native of Barcelona, Rubio’s return to Spain has long been a legitimate possibility, but what led the former fifth-overall pick to that decision is still a matter of debate. With his body feeling the wear and tear of 14 years of professional basketball (two of which were played with FC Barcelona), Rubio had only played 67 games over his last two seasons.

To that point, the torn ACL that Rubio suffered midway through the 2021-22 season–the second of his career–may have been the beginning of the end.

A year and a half after he sustained his second ACL tear, Rubio began saying that his NBA days were coming to an end. Like many professional athletes, Rubio has played the sport his entire life. Like them as well, having it taken away from him leads to significant questions about who they are and what their future holds.

Six months later, Rubio reached a contract buyout agreement with the Cavaliers and announced his retirement from the NBA.

Curiously, he explicitly mentions Jul. 30. July is typically considered to be the unofficial start of the impending NBA season due to the end of the moratorium period. Specifically, the moratorium is the period at the start of the NBA league year when teams are allowed to agree to trades and free-agent contracts, but can’t yet formally finalize them.

More to the point, Rubio going into “a dark place” just as teams begin revving up for the 2023-24 season is indicative of a player whose future performance is of concern to them.

“I thought basketball was over [for me].”

When contrasting the eventual end to his career with Rubio saying that he felt the best he ever had in his career just after returning from his ACL injury, one wonders where the change of heart may have occurred.

With that said, although Rubio may have initially felt to be in pristine physical condition, it didn’t reflect in his play on the basketball court. Ultimately, the difference between how he felt and how he actually played lent itself to an existential crisis.

Ricky Rubio in the NBA

Rubio entered the league making wondrous plays

Since its inception, the NBA has eyed European basketball prospects with a curiosity colored by skepticism. On the one hand, European prospects spent years developing steadily, honing fundamentals such as ball movement and low-post play. On the other hand, there’s always been a question about whether European prospects could keep up with American athletes.

As a result, when Ricky Rubio was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Spain, there was plenty of intrigue but just as much question. How would the then 19-year-old fare against the best players in the world?

That question wouldn’t be answered for two years, as Rubio stayed back in Spain to continue his development with FC Barcelona; the draft-and-stash technique.

However, when Rubio finally did make his long-awaited NBA debut, his two-way playmaking was so sensational that he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, behind only the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft (Kyrie Irving). That he did so despite tearing his ACL against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in March of that season is even more impressive.

By the time he was traded to the Utah Jazz in the 2017 offseason, Rubio already had five career triple-doubles and six games with at least 17 assists, while setting the franchise record for single-season steals (191) and single-game assists (19).

Myriad lower leg injuries would continue to undermine his abilities throughout his career. For instance, three games after becoming the first Jazz player to record a postseason triple-double since Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, Rubio was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs with a hamstring injury. Consequently, Rubio became more expendable than his talent would suggest, and he found himself traded three more times before the end of his career.

Nonetheless, he was still an invaluable teacher for stars such as Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell and continued to set career highs. He even managed to surpass 5,000 career assists, ranking in the top 75 of that category, and scored a record 38 points against Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Now back in Spain, Rubio says he doesn’t “want to think any further beyond taking things day by day this season,” per an official press release.

“I would like to be able to enjoy playing and being at ease. We will do our best to make things beautiful. I have a clear goal which is to use certain mechanisms to enjoy playing basketball and to help the team reach the goals it has set. I’m excited. I was quite right to return to FC Barcelona, they helped me feel comfortable.”