Ricky Rubio retires from basketball

Ricky Rubio, a seasoned point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Spanish national team, said on Saturday that he would be pausing his basketball career to focus on his mental health. Due to his flamboyant playing style, Rubio, 32, rose to fame in Spain when he was just 15 years old. He was taken by the Timberwolves with the No. 5 overall choice in the 2009 draft, although he first spent two more seasons in Spain. With the Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–17, 2020–21), Utah Jazz (2017–19), Phoenix Suns (2019–20), and Cleveland, he has made 698 career appearances.

Rubio agreed to a three-year, $18.44 million deal with Cleveland in July 2022 that included $16.25 million in guarantees. But after rejoining the team in the midst of the 2022–23 season, a ruptured ACL suffered in his debut season with Cleveland restricted him to 33 games. Now the player has decided to halt his professional career and focus on his mental health.