The Official Ricky Rubio Thread

[Black Urum]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Rubio

Ricard "Ricky" Rubio Vives (October 21, 1990 – ) is a Spanish pro basketball player. Considered a child prodigy in basketball, Rubio became the youngest ever to play in Spain's ACB, arguably the top domestic league in Europe, on October 15, 2005. The 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall Rubio is playing point guard for Joventut Badalona in both the ACB and the Euroleague, generally regarded as the world's top annual basketball competition outside the NBA. Displaying amazing talent and maturity despite his young age, Rubio is commonly regarded as the best European guard prospect since Dražen Petrovi?. Due to his scoring dominance and creativity, Rubio has been compared to Pete Maravich. Former NBA guard Pepe Sánchez, who then played at the point for ACB rivals Unicaja Málaga, made this comment in a February 2007 interview for a Euroleague profile of Rubio:

I think he's a freak of nature — being so young and being so skilled and also so cool all the time. You can see that he knows what he's doing. He's not playing out there with pros based only on his talents. He knows the game and he can only improve. I think he'll be a great player. It all depends on him, but I personally think he's going to be great.

Despite his notability, he is being carefully shielded from excessive media attention. Joventut and the Rubio family have agreed that he will not be available for interviews until he turns 18.

In August of 2006 Rubio led the Spanish national team to the FIBA Europe U16 Championship. During the tournament (excluding the final game), Rubio achieved two triple-doubles and one quadruple-double. In the 110-106 double overtime finale victory over Russia, Rubio scored 51 points (including a three-point buzzer-beater shot from mid court to force the first overtime), grabbed 24 rebounds, made 12 assists, and stole the ball seven times — a performance unprecedented in tournament history. Rubio also was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament after leading it in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

Rubio made his Euroleague debut on October 24, 2006, versus Panathinaikos of Athens*. He displayed extraordinary maturity as Joventut's backup point guard for Elmer Bennett. As of the end of the 2006-07 Euroleague regular season, he leads the Euroleague in steals by a large margin, averaging 3.45 steals per game, although playing only 18 minutes per game. He also ranks 17th among the top passers, averaging 3.27 assists per game.

Rubio was featured in SLAM Magazine in April 2007, in the piece the author noted that he considered him the best non NBA player in the world and compared him to Magic Johnson.

Ricky Rubio on different sites:

On NBAdraft.net

On ACB.com

On Euroleague.net

On SLAM Magazine

On DraftExpress.com

On FibaEurope.com

[Black Urum]

From http://hoopshype.com

by Raul Barrigon

“He has a 6 million euro (approximately $9.5 million) buyout”, one reliable source close to the talented kid told HoopsHype.com. “His agent is re-negotiating his current contract – and the talks stalled three months ago.”

News of the 6 million wall were first published on Marca.com by basketball journalist Quique Peinado.

And HoopsHype.com learned that his buyout is sixty times his salary for this year. So it looks like a lottery spot in 2009 – his first year of draft availability – is not going to happen until his club, Joventut Badalona, goes slightly mad and lowers the buyout cost – a lot.

Another source assures his current contract – signed with his parents when he was 15 – expires when he's 20. Rubio was born on October 21, 1990, so under these conditions he would be an unrestricted free agent by June 2011. He could play his first NBA regular-season game when he turns 21. But hey, if his agents and the club can get things done...

It was april 2004, and I was there when Ricard Rubio, then a 13-year-old kid, won his second official title. After that, everybody called him Ricky.

He played for the Catalonian team in a national high school tournament – sort of. It was the second game and I was switching from court to court looking for talent as three games were being played at the same time.

Then I saw Rubio, who had won a youth tournament organized by the ACB, the Spanish League. His team was in a full-court press and the opponent's point guard couldn't get past halfcourt. Rubio stole the ball. Fast break. Sweet layup. Nothing special, right? Wrong.

The other team's coach asked for a timeout and the kid started to cry. Rubio was surprised when his coach talked to him. I asked 'what is happening?' A spectator answered: “That boy wearing No. 9 has stolen the ball to the other kid eight times in a row.”

Rubio's coach was asking him to let it go and stop stealing the ball. He was innocently embarrassing his opponent, who was apparently like him, a skinny 13 year-old playing organized basketball. Right? Wrong again.

“Everybody is talking about Rudy Fernandez, but this kid is going to be like Rudy or even better," an experienced journalist told me when Rubio was named MVP of the tournament.

THE ABUSER

Four years later, Rubio was lifting the ACB King's Cup held at Vitoria, and the chants were similar to that stealing frenzy back in 2004: “¡Ricky abuson! ¡Ricky abuson! [Ricky the abuser! Ricky the abuser!].” I was there too, amazed again with him and Rudy – who was the MVP of the tournament.

NBA agent Dan Fegan was at the stands and Rubio was one of the main reasons for his Spanish trip.

“He's improving quickly”, said. “This year he has become a better shooter. He has a feel for the game and a body that has still to develop. He has something you can't teach... You know, it's like Pete Maravich. Something like that.”

Jonathan Givony, president of DraftExpress.com said about his progress: “His worst (or better yet: most improvable) skill right now would probably be his perimeter shooting. His shooting mechanics need to improve (he's mostly a spot-up shooter right now) and his mid-range game also needs plenty of work. Since he's not a freakish athlete, he won't be able to get by guys as easily in the NBA, and therefore he needs to have his jump-shot consistent to open up his slashing game for him. Think of the way Steve Nash plays.”

An assistant general manager of a Pacific Division team was in Spain a couple of weeks before the ACB King's Cup and upon seeing Rubio he said, “He is the best basketball player I've seen outside the NBA.”

“He studies when he's not playing basketball. He usually goes to school early in the morning and then at noon he's off to practice, and in the evening he returns to school. He studies while the rest of the team is playing cards or with the PlayStation.”

Playing pro basketball since October 2005, when he made his ACB debut. He was 14.

EYEING THE OLYMPICS

With the quiet season of Sergio Rodriguez at Portland, Rubio will have a chance to earn a spot in the national squad that will compete in the Olympic Games this summer.

Antoni Daimiel, one of the most popular basketball journalists in Spain, spent some time with Rubio: “Ricky steals the ball game after game like when he was 13. When he spoke with Elmer Bennett, he looked like a 13-year-old league veteran. When he's with his friends from school, he acts like he is 17-years-old. When he's with adults, he talks like them. I guess he listens to Sean Kingston, Mika, R. Kelly, Melendi or Fito y los Fitipaldis depending on who's with. I never met an adult so childish and a child so mature. Always being the appropriate person.”

Rubio has drawn attention in Russia too.

“He is helped a lot by the great balance, coordination and quickness he has. It gives him a great advantage,” CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina blogged.

[Tchato]

It's scary to think about how good he will be when he's older

[TalkBasket]

In case someone didn't see him playing I'll post some of his videos.

[rikhardur]

Rubio became the youngest player in ACB history to make part of a season's ideal 5 in a vote made by fans, journalists, coaches and players.

[vittor14]

barça maybe pay the liberty of ricky rubio to sign for barça....two possibles signs,marca gasol and ricky rubio.two good players with a lot of future

[rikhardur]

Ricky, 17 years old, will become the second youngest player to join the Spanish NT in the 2008 Olympics (the first one was Corbalán).

[rikhardur]

Ricky's official fanclub was presented yesterday in a club in Badalona. It currently comprises 380 fans from Spain, Thailand, Argentina, Italy, Russia, Peru, Bulgaria and others.

Those interested joining should send an email to rickyrubio9@hotmail.es.

Some photos of the presentation:

[rikhardur]

Documentary about Ricky (in Spanish but worth watching):

Part 1



Part 2

[rikhardur]

Chris Paul on Ricky (after being in Barcelona for a street basket session with the Spaniard):

I'm here with Ricky, who's only 17 years old, and I know I've been through a lot to be where I am today. He already took part in the Olympics and I had to be 2 years in college and 3 in the NBA before making it. It's insane what he did until now.

I had already seen him on TV and I knew he had long arms with which he's very dangerous. I was leader in steals in the NBA last year and I knew I couldn't make fool of him, because he would steal the ball. Besides, the way he passes the ball is impressive, he penetrates to the basket and he doesn't think about him, he's unselfish, he always thinks about the team.

http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=52506

[rikhardur]

[url="http://http"]Loads of pics[/url]

[url="http://http"]Ricky's best moves[/url]



Ricky celebrates 18 years old today!

[rikhardur]

[url="http://http"]Ricky: I don't think about the future in the NBA but about the present in ACB[/url]

[rikhardur]

[url="http://http"]Ricky: I don't know if I'll apply to the 2009 or 2010 draft or never[/url]

[rikhardur]

[url="http://http"]Ricky: "I have to improve everything, because I'm not perfect about anything"[/url]

Rubio Hails Brother Marc, Keeps Feet On The Ground





Ricky Rubio has paid tribute to his older brother Marc for helping him become one of the leading players in Spain.



The 18-year-old, voted FIBA Europe's Young Player of the Year for 2007, was a member of the Ideal Quintet last season in the ACB - his first as a starter at DKV Joventut.



He also played for Spain at the Olympics and helped them capture a silver medal.



Rubio, in an interview with EFE, spoke about his brother who is two years older and now plays in Spain with CB Prat Joventut.



"He (Marc) always achieved what he wanted and I wanted to follow in his footsteps," Rubio said.



"He has been my best image, always my point of reference.



"He made his debut at Joventut at the age of 16 and played for the Spanish youth teams and I wanted to do the same.



"I could say Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson are two of my idols, but I have not learned so much from them as I have from my own brother and in fact, I have him close to me."



Rubio's defensive excellence and transition game made him a nightmare to go up against last year in Spain, and at the Beijing Games.



After returning to DKV, though, the wrist he injured in the title game against the United States required an operation.



He is still recovering from the surgery and doesn't know when he'll return to the line-up.



Once he does come back, you can expect to see him put up a few more lay-ups and jumpers with his left hand since that has been the only one he's been able to use of late.



"I need to improve in everything because I´m still not perfect in anything," Rubio said.



"I have to improve my left-handed shot."



As far as the NBA rumours go that he will turn professional after this season, Rubio said: "It´s not the time to think about that because it would not be positive."



Rubio also revealed stardom doesn't let him off the hook at DKV Joventut.



"I am still the youngster in the team, the one that carries the bags when it´s my turn," he said.

[markosemm]

What can i say about Ricky Rubio...



A nature's miracle...

He is playing like an experienced player...



I am sure he will make it in NBA..he is too good not to give it a try...

[rikhardur]

[url="http://http"]Interview[/url].

[rikhardur]

[rikhardur]

ESP/USA - Rudy tries to calm the Rubio euphoria

PORTLAND (NBA/EuroBasket) - Rudy Fernandez has warned everyone not to "put too much pressure" on his former DKV Joventut teammate and fellow Spain international Ricky Rubio.

The 23-year-old Fernandez, who famously dunked over Dwight Howard in the gold medal game at the Olympics and has played to rave reviews in his first NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers, was speaking ahead of the All-Star Weekend.

He and Spain center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies will play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, and Fernandez will also take part in the dunking contest.

Rubio, 18, who played at the Olympics, is being widely tipped to join the Spanish contingent in the NBA in the near future.

"You cannot put too much pressure on Ricky Rubio," Fernandez said.

"You need to take care of him, let him be the same person he is now because he is bright enough to take his own decisions with his family and he has to fix his own aims."

Fernandez says he couldn't be happier in Portland, a city that has very devoted Blazer fans.

"In Portland everyone has gone overboard to make me feel welcome and to adapt," Fernandez said.

"I am satisfied to have adapted well in the first few months. It´s given me more confidence and little by little, I feel like myself.

"Obviously, I miss the role I had in Europe with DKV Joventut but I am happy.

"To be part of the dunk competition is a great opportunity for me. It´s the first time a European player will take part and I think it´s something really good for basketball in Europe."

Spain will this summer attempt to win the EuroBasket for the first time and Fernandez says the national team is never far from his thoughts.

"I hope to play for the national team always, also to go to the EuroBasket," he said. "If I don´t have any injuries, it´s certain that my club will let me go."

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/l

[rikhardur]

Draft Watch: Who's hot, who's not?

Who's Hot

Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

Rubio isn't dominating in Spain, but he's getting better and better by the game. A number of NBA scouts and executives are just getting back from Spain and, after watching Rubio play in Copa del Rey, I haven't heard one that doesn't have him ranked in the top three. Most of them have him at No. 2 now, ahead of Georgetown's Greg Monroe.

Rubio's position in the top three is significant for one big reason: He has a huge buyout from his team in Spain. To afford the buyout, he really needs to be a top-three pick. Publicly, the mood has been pessimistic that Rubio would be in this draft, with a series of international stories claiming Rubio is staying overseas and other draft sites pulling him from their 2009 mock drafts. Privately, his agent, Dan Fegan, has been working on this for months, and we've been getting the same signals all along: Rubio is entering this year's draft.

Rubio still needs to work on his jumper and get stronger, but his floor leadership and energy are just remarkable. He's a special playmaker.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/co...aftWatch-090227

[kobimel]

He'll definitely be picked in the top 3 if he declares and assures the teams that he'll complete the buyout.