Ricky!
Ricky!
Ricky Rubio announced this week that he'll be retiring from the NBA. But where he stands in the pantheon of Utah Jazz guards was undeniable to my son.
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More professional athletes are taking time off for mental illness than any time I can recall, ever.
Simone Biles. Naomi Osaka. Serena. [No last name needed, there.]
There's one thing all of these athletes have in common: they're women.
This past August, Cleveland Cavs guard Ricky Rubio announced that he'd be taking some time off from basketball to address his mental health issues. But, Rubio didn't give anyone a timetable on when he'd return. From his Instagram page:
“I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health. I want to thank all the support I have received from the [Spanish national] team to understand my decision," Rubio said, in part.
"Today #family makes more sense than ever. Thank you. I would ask that my privacy be respected so that I can face these moments and be able to give more information when the time is right."
The former Utah Jazz guard took a risk by saying he'd be taking a break from international action when Spain is the odds-on favorite to win the upcoming FIBA World Cup. Ricky Rubio is arguably the the highest-profile male athlete [sorry, Kevin Love] around the world to have made such an announcement.
But let's keep it real.
Rubio, now just 32 years of age, has been playing in the pros since he was 15. This past week, however, the Spaniard put his NBA basketball playing days behind him when he announced his retirement.
Like a basketball Zorro, Rubio [known only as Ricky in his early days] was swashbuckling fools out there on the floor as he zipped the rock behind his back through the painted trapezoid, finding his teammate for an easy basket.
Back then, it looked like Ricky was rewriting the script on how guards played. And YouTube was the only way you could watch him play but oh my, could he play.
Have any fun Ricky Rubio memories? Share them and have them featured on our weekly podcast.
