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Ricky Rubio facts for kids

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Rubio and the second or maternal family name is Vives.
Quick facts for kids
Ricky Rubio
Ricky Rubio (51657225617) (cropped).jpg
Rubio with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021
Personal information
Born (1990-10-21) 21 October 1990 (age 34)
El Masnou, Spain
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career 2005–2024
Career history
2005–2009 Joventut Badalona
2009–2011 FC Barcelona
2011–2017 Minnesota Timberwolves
2017–2019 Utah Jazz
2019–2020 Phoenix Suns
2020–2021 Minnesota Timberwolves
2021–2024 Cleveland Cavaliers
2024 FC Barcelona
Career highlights and awards
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team (2012)
  • FIBA World Cup MVP (2019)
  • EuroLeague champion (2010)
  • EuroLeague Rising Star (2010)
  • EuroLeague steals leader (2007)
  • EuroCup champion (2008)
  • FIBA EuroChallenge champion (2006)
  • Liga ACB champion (2011)
  • 3× Copa del Rey winner (2008, 2010, 2011)
  • Liga ACB Defensive Player of the Year (2009)
  • Liga ACB Rising Star (2007)
  • Liga ACB Most Spectacular Player (2010)
  • 2× All-Liga ACB Team (2008, 2010)
  • Spanish Sportsman of the Year (2019)
  • Mister Europa Player of the Year (2008)
  • 3× FIBA Young Player of the Year (2007–2009)
  • FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship MVP (2006)
Career NBA statistics
Points 7,570 (10.8 ppg)
Rebounds 2,830 (4.1 rpg)
Assists 5,160 (7.4 apg)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Spain
Summer Olympics
Silver 2008 Beijing
Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro
World Cup
Gold 2019 China
EuroBasket
Gold 2009 Poland
Gold 2011 Lithuania
Bronze 2013 Slovenia
Bronze 2017 Turkey

Ricard "Ricky" Rubio Vives (born October 21, 1990) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was known for his amazing passing skills and quick steals. Ricky became the youngest player ever to play in Spain's top basketball league, Liga ACB, when he was just 14 years old in 2005. A year later, he also became one of the youngest players to play in the EuroLeague, a major European basketball competition.

In 2009, Ricky was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA draft. He was the fifth player chosen overall and the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted into the NBA. Before joining the NBA, he played for FC Barcelona in Spain for two years. He finally joined the Timberwolves in 2011 and played there for six seasons. Later, he played for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and returned to the Timberwolves before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In August 2023, Ricky took a break from basketball. On January 4, 2024, he announced that he was retiring from the NBA. He later returned to play for FC Barcelona in Spain for a short time.

Ricky's Basketball Journey

Starting Young in Spain (2005–2009)

Camiseta autografata de Ricky Rubio (2009)
Signed Ricky Rubio jersey (2009)

Ricky Rubio started his professional career with DKV Joventut in the Spanish ACB League in the 2005–06 season. He was only 14 years and 11 months old, making him the youngest player to ever play in that league!

In his early years, Ricky won the FIBA EuroChallenge championship with Joventut in 2006. He was also named the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year three times in a row, from 2007 to 2009. He was known for his defense, leading the Spanish ACB League in steals in 2007 and 2009.

Ricky was very talented, but his team and parents protected him from too much media attention. They didn't let him do interviews until he turned 18. However, this changed when he was chosen to play for the Spanish national team at the 2008 Olympics.

Playing for Barcelona (2009–2011)

After being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, Ricky decided to stay in Spain for two more seasons. He joined FC Barcelona. During this time, he helped his team win the EuroLeague Championship in 2010 and the Spanish Liga ACB Championship in 2011. These were big wins for him before heading to the NBA.

NBA Career with Minnesota (2011–2017)

Ricky Rubio-MN v DET
Rubio playing for the Timberwolves in 2012

Ricky Rubio officially joined the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2011–12 NBA season. Fans were very excited when he arrived in Minnesota. He made his NBA debut on December 26, 2011, and quickly became a fan favorite. He was even named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month early in his first season.

Unfortunately, Ricky suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) in March 2012, which ended his first NBA season early. Even with the injury, he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. He showed great skill, averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.

He returned from his injury in December 2012. On March 13, 2013, he achieved his first career triple-double (getting double-digit numbers in three different stats: points, rebounds, and assists) with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. He continued to be a strong player for the Timberwolves, known for his passing and stealing. He even set a team record with 19 assists in a game in March 2017.

20140101 Ricky Rubio
Rubio with the Timberwolves in 2014

Moving to Utah (2017–2019)

In June 2017, Ricky was traded to the Utah Jazz. He continued to show his scoring ability, setting new career highs in points. In the 2018 playoffs, he made history by recording a triple-double, the first Jazz player to do so in the postseason since John Stockton in 2001.

Playing for Phoenix (2019–2020)

Ricky signed with the Phoenix Suns in July 2019. He quickly made an impact, recording his first triple-double with the Suns in December 2019. He also had an amazing game with 22 points, 11 assists, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds against his former team, the Utah Jazz.

During the 2020 NBA season, Ricky tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered and rejoined his team in the 2020 NBA Bubble to finish the season.

Back to Minnesota and Cleveland (2020–2024)

In November 2020, Ricky was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves for his second time with the team. A year later, in August 2021, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Cavaliers, he had a career-high 37 points in a game in November 2021. He also reached 5,000 career assists in December 2021. Sadly, he tore his left ACL again later that month, ending his season.

Ricky was traded to the Indiana Pacers in February 2022 but never played for them due to his injury. He then returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2022. He made his return to playing in January 2023. In August 2023, Ricky decided to take a break from his career. On January 4, 2024, he announced his retirement from the NBA.

Return to Barcelona (2024)

After retiring from the NBA, Ricky signed with FC Barcelona again in February 2024, playing for them for the rest of the season.

Playing for Spain

Junior National Team Success

In August 2006, Ricky led the Spanish junior national team to win the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. He had an incredible performance in the final game against Russia, scoring 51 points, grabbing 24 rebounds, making 12 assists, and stealing the ball 7 times! He even made a last-second shot from half-court to force overtime. Ricky was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament because he led in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

Senior National Team Achievements

Ricky also played for the senior Spanish National Team at a very young age.

  • At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, he was only 17 when he played in the gold medal game against the United States. Spain won the silver medal.
  • He helped Spain win the gold medal at the 2009 EuroBasket and EuroBasket 2011.
  • In 2019, Ricky led Spain to a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was named the World Cup MVP and was chosen for the All-Star Five team. He also received the Spanish Sportsman of the Year award in 2019.
  • At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ricky set a new record for most points scored against Team USA with 38 points.

Ricky's Playing Style

RickyRubio1
Rubio playing in Spain

Ricky Rubio was seen by many as one of the best young European guards ever. People often compared his unique passing and playmaking skills to the legendary American player Pete Maravich. He was known for his incredible court vision, ability to make flashy passes, and his quick hands on defense to get steals.

Personal Life

Ricky Rubio's mother, Tona Vives, passed away in May 2016. He has a sister named Laia. On January 14, 2020, Ricky and his wife Sara welcomed their son into the world.

Awards and Accomplishments

Ricky Rubio has won many awards and championships throughout his career:

Team Championships

  • Spanish King's Cup: 2008, 2010, 2011
  • FIBA EuroChallenge: 2006
  • EuroCup Basketball: 2008
  • Catalan League: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • Liga ACB: 2010–11
  • EuroLeague: 2010
  • Spanish Supercup: 2009, 2010

International Medals with Spain

  • FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: Gold (2006), Bronze (2005)
  • Summer Olympics: Silver (2008 Beijing), Bronze (2016 Rio de Janeiro)
  • FIBA Basketball World Cup: Gold (2019 China)
  • EuroBasket: Gold (2009 Poland, 2011 Lithuania), Bronze (2013 Slovenia, 2017 Turkey)

Individual Awards

  • MVP of the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
  • 2× Liga ACB steals leader: 2007, 2009
  • Liga ACB 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 League MVP: 2009
  • EuroLeague Rising Star: 2010
  • ACB Most Spectacular Player: 2010
  • 2× NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month: December 2011, January 2012
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2012
  • FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team: 2019
  • FIBA World Cup MVP: 2019
  • Spanish Sportsman of the Year: 2019
  • FIBA Summer Olympics All-Star Five: 2020

Career Statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

NBA Regular Season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 Minnesota 41 31 34.2 .357 .340 .803 4.2 8.2 2.2 .2 10.6
2012–13 Minnesota 57 47 29.7 .360 .293 .799 4.0 7.3 2.4 .1 10.7
2013–14 Minnesota 82 82 32.2 .381 .331 .802 4.2 8.6 2.3 .1 9.5
2014–15 Minnesota 22 22 31.5 .356 .255 .803 5.7 8.8 1.7 .0 10.3
2015–16 Minnesota 76 76 30.6 .374 .326 .847 4.3 8.7 2.1 .1 10.1
2016–17 Minnesota 75 75 32.9 .402 .306 .891 4.3 9.1 1.7 .1 11.1
2017–18 Utah 77 77 29.3 .418 .352 .866 4.6 5.3 1.6 .1 13.1
2018–19 Utah 68 67 27.9 .404 .311 .855 3.6 6.1 1.3 .1 12.7
2019–20 Phoenix 57 57 31.6 .412 .351 .853 4.6 8.9 1.5 .2 13.0
2020–21 Minnesota 68 51 26.1 .388 .308 .867 3.3 6.4 1.4 .1 8.6
2021–22 Cleveland 34 8 28.5 .363 .339 .854 4.1 6.6 1.4 .2 13.1
2022–23 Cleveland 33 2 17.2 .343 .256 .800 2.1 3.5 .8 .2 5.2
Career 698 603 29.6 .388 .324 .843 4.1 7.4 1.8 .1 10.8

NBA Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018 Utah 6 6 30.2 .354 .313 .783 7.3 7.0 1.3 .5 14.0
2019 Utah 5 5 33.5 .424 .200 .850 3.2 8.6 2.4 .2 15.4
2023 Cleveland 3 0 5.7 .000 – – 2.0 1.0 .3 — 0.0
Career 14 11 26.1 .384 .269 .814 4.7 6.3 1.5 .3 11.5

EuroLeague Statistics

† Denotes season in which Rubio won the EuroLeague
* Led the league
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2006–07 Joventut Badalona 16 0 18.9 .348 .167 .767 2.4 2.8 3.2* .1 3.6 7.7
2008–09 5 2 13.3 .300 .333 .625 2.4 2.8 1.8 — 2.4 6.2
2009–10† Barcelona 22* 22* 20.9 .370 .358 .893 2.9 4.1 1.4 .0 6.8 10.7
2010–11 20 17 22.7 .310 .224 .836 3.3 3.5 1.6 .1 6.5 9.6
2023–24 13 3 17.2 .274 .182 .852 3.2 4.3 1.4 — 4.7 8.0
Career 76 44 19.8 .328 .262 .835 2.9 3.6 1.9 .0 5.4 9.0

EuroCup Statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2007–08 Joventut Badalona 16 10 20.9 .531 .360 .771 3.4 4.5 2.4 .1 7.6 12.9
Career 16 10 20.9 .531 .360 .771 3.4 4.5 2.4 .1 7.6 12.9

Domestic Leagues Statistics

Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005–06 Spain Joventut Badalona ACB 14 7.8 .474 .667 .700 1.1 .7 1.0 .1 2.6
2006–07 Spain Joventut Badalona ACB 43 19.2 .382 .258 .691 2.6 2.1 1.9 .0 4.5
2007–08 Spain Joventut Badalona ACB 39 23.2 .363 .265 .794 3.3 3.9 2.0 .3 10.2
2008–09 Spain Joventut Badalona ACB 25 22.7 .400 .417 .806 2.7 5.8 2.2 .3 9.8
2009–10 Spain Barcelona ACB 42 20.4 .404 .366 .767 2.7 4.3 1.9 .2 6.4
2010–11 Spain Barcelona ACB 42 21.7 .320 .268 .779 3.2 3.9 1.6 .1 4.7
2023–24 Spain Barcelona ACB 15 18.4 .377 .292 .886 3.1 4.1 1.1 .1 6.0

Images for kids

  • Ricky Rubio (51657225617) (cropped)

    Rubio with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021

  • Camiseta autografata de Ricky Rubio (2009)

    Signed Ricky Rubio jersey (2009)

  • Ricky Rubio-MN v DET

    Rubio playing for the Timberwolves in 2012

  • 20140101 Ricky Rubio

    Rubio with the Timberwolves in 2014

  • RickyRubio1

    Rubio playing in Spain

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