On January 5, Beijing time, the Cavaliers officially announced that the team officially reached a buyout agreement with Rubio. Rubio is still in Spain with a salary of $6.14 million this season and $6.44 million next season ($4.3 million guaranteed). Rubio immediately updated his social media to announce his official retirement from the NBA.
Rubio wrote: "My NBA career has come to an end, and the 12-year journey has been like a dream. I've been through all the ups and downs, and I've had a lot of great memories: Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, Cleveland, thank you!" Rubio was born on October 21, 1990, and he was only 33 years old.
Rubio revealed that in the summer of 2023, he suffered from serious psychological problems. At that time, Rubio issued a statement announcing the suspension of basketball and his withdrawal from the Spanish men's basketball team and the Basketball World Cup: "I decided to stop basketball and take care of my mental health. Thank you to the Spanish Basketball Federation for your understanding and support, which allowed me to face these moments better. ”
"Today, family is more meaningful than ever," Rubio said. I hope that everyone will respect my privacy so that I can better face those difficult times. "To put it simply, Rubio's mental health is in trouble and he can't continue his NBA career. The once handsome golden boy has now experienced vicissitudes.
There were many factors that crushed Rubio: the death of his mother, a torn knee ligament, and being traded three times in just one year...... To this day, Rubio's ins avatar is still a photo with his mother, although his mother has been dead for more than seven years, he really can't let it go. Perhaps only family can give Rubio a sense of security.
In 2012, Tona Vivis was diagnosed with lung cancer. That same year, Rubio suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee, and the double whammy left him in agony. Rubio took his mother to the best hospital, the Mayo Clinic, to accompany her in the fight against cancer. In May 2016, Tona Vivis passed away at the age of 56.
Rubio was not yet 26 years old at the time, but he lost his loved ones. This kind of pain can only be understood by those who have experienced it. In the 2019 Basketball World Cup, Rubio led Spain to win the championship, and he himself was named MVP. Rubio pointed to the sky: "Mom is my driving force, even when she's not here, I can still feel her presence." ”
In that Basketball World Cup, Rubio averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 44% from the field and 39% from three-point range. The 2008 Olympics were fledgling, and the 2019 World Cup became a mainstay. In the post-Gasol era, it was Rubio who led the Spanish advance.
In the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio was selected by the Timberwolves with the fifth pick in the first round. In front of him are Griffin, Tabit, Harden and Tyrek Evans, and behind him are Curry, DeRozan, Holiday and others. Rubio entered the draft with a contract and didn't officially land in the NBA until the summer of 2011.
Rubio played six years with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Jazz by the Timberwolves in the summer of 2017. In the summer of 2019, Rubio joined the Suns for 3 years and 51 million. On November 17, 2020, the Suns traded Rubio to the Thunder. Two days later, he was traded back to the Timberwolves by the Thunder. In August 2021, the Timberwolves traded Rubio to the Cavaliers.
On December 29, 2021, Rubio suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee, almost the same injury he suffered in 2012. Being traded three times in a row, combined with season reimbursements, has left Rubio extremely tormented. In 2022, he returned to Spain to recuperate from his injury, with his family and children, and he had the idea of returning to Europe to play.
Throughout his NBA career, Rubio played in a total of 698 regular season games, averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 38.8%, 32.4% and 84.3% from three. As a European player, Rubio's NBA career has been considered a success. It's just that many fans have higher expectations for him......
Although more than ten years have passed, I believe everyone still remembers the genius golden boy of the Beijing Olympic Games! Life is greater than basketball, bless Rubio!