Ricky Rubio, former Minnesota Timberwolf, announces retirement, working on mental health
MINNEAPOLIS — Ricky Rubio, the Spanish point guard who played several years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has announced his retirement from the NBA, saying he wants to continue to work on his mental health.
"I wanted to post this message for you today because my NBA career has come to an end," Rubio posted on the social media site X. "After playing 12 years in the league, with all its ups and downs, I have collected lots of good memories and great relationships. Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland. Wow. Thank you!"
Rubio, 33, most recently played with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He stepped away from the team last summer to focus on his mental health. In his retirement post, Rubio said that was when he made the decision to retire.
"July 30th was one of the toughest nights of my life. 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," he said. "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."
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The Wolves took Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Despite being one of two point guards the Wolves selected right before the Golden State Warriors took Steph Curry, arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history, Rubio became a fan favorite in Minnesota. In Rubio's seven years in Minnesota, the Wolves never finished with a winning record, and he was on the second-worst team in franchise history by record (16-66). But his enthusiasm on the court, creative playmaking ability and dedicated defense made him a standout in lean times.
The Wolves traded Rubio to the Utah Jazz in 2017, but he returned to the team in 2020 to much fanfare. He would be traded again a year later to Cleveland.
Rubio ends his career with 7,570 points and 5,160 assists. He ranks first in steals per game in Wolves franchise history and third in assists per game.