Tricky Ricky. La Pistola. The Spaniard. Whatever you call him, Ricky Rubio has been a polarizing player since entering the league in 2011.
Ricky Rubio is undoubtedly a wizard of a passer. But he’s far from perfect on the offensive end.
Perhaps mentioned as frequently as his passing ability is his lack of a consistent jump shot. Despite being adept in the pick and roll, defenders know they can live with any shot Rubio takes if they decide to check the roll man.
He’s an above average defender. Which is highly valuable in this era of NBA basketball, where the real star power is held in the backcourt.
Many Timberwolves fan have been clamoring for Rubio to be traded. He’s been involved in trade talks routinely over the last few seasons. Before last season’s trade deadline, the Wolves were “actively shopping” the 26-year-old guard.
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No trade materialized then, but the team hadn’t given up on moving Rubio.
Finally, last week, the team pulled the trigger and traded Rubio for a lottery-protected 2018 first-round draft pick via the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It is beyond question that Rubio provided a lot for the Timberwolves. He’ll be remembered by fans of the team for his dazzling no-look passes, his skillful nutmegs and his willingness to lead the team, even in the darkest of days.
Whether you’re hopping on the bandwagon thanks to the team’s newest star, Jimmy Butler, or you’re a long-time Wolves fan with a few tears left to shed, here are five things worth remembering about Ricky Rubio.
5. Draft night
If you’re a long time Timberwolves fan, you know that the 2009 NBA Draft held some major players.
And while the Wolves didn’t have the chance to draft Blake Griffin or James Harden, they did have three first-round picks, including the fifth and sixth pick overall.
If you were an NBA then and are an NBA now, you probably know that the Wolves famously passed on Stephen Curry (who was selected seventh overall) to pick Jonny Flynn at six and Ricky Rubio at five.
It’s widely noted as having been a huge letdown of a draft for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Flynn was an interesting pick, it was nothing compared to the gamble of drafting such a young guard with no domestic experience.
Rubio showed flashes of skill in Spain; enough to be noticed by newly-hired General Manager David Kahn.
Kahn rolled the dice on Rubio, and at first it didn’t look like Wolves fans would ever see him play stateside.
Ricky Rubio’s contract situation and desire to play in the U.S. resulted in a two-year delay before he ever played his first NBA game.
This left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of fans and wasn’t the best look for David Kahn.
4. Ricky Rubio finally arrives in the U.S. to play basketball
Ricky Rubio was the first player born in the ’90’s to be selected in the NBA Draft.
However, it wasn’t clear at first that Rubio was coming to the United States to play basketball.
He was busy tearing up the court in Spain and so initially decided to stay. After a complicated couple of years and contract negotiations, it seemed like he would never suit up for the Wolves.
After years of negotiations, Rubio finally made the commitment to play for the Timberwolves in June of 2011.
He played the first game of his NBA career on December 26, 2011.
The Target Center was sold out for the first time in years, and fans witnessed the young guard post six points, six assists and five rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Though it was a mediocre performance, many fans were relieved to see the Wolves’ draft pick actually play a game for the team.
3. Ricky Rubio’s game winner vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder
In his first career game, Ricky Rubio and the Timberwolves lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the tail end of the 2015-2016, Rubio had the opportunity to get a bit of revenge.
On a Friday evening in March 2016, the Wolves battled through a back-and-forth game with the Thunder.
With 10.8 seconds left in the game, Rubio inbounded the ball to then second-year player Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins was set to take to the final shot, using a screen from a rookie Karl-Anthony Towns.
As Wiggins drove into the lane, the Thunder defense collapsed on him, forcing a panicked Wiggins to kick the ball out to the only open player (and worst shooter) on the court: Ricky Rubio.
Rubio hoisted the shot attempt without hesitation and sealed the game with a made three.
This was quite the highlight that year, given Rubio’s awful shooting splits.
The shame of the shot is that it took place at the Chesapeake Energy Arena and not at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Minnesota fans have cringed for years at each Rubio shot attempt. It would have been nice to see a shot like this at home.
2. Ricky Rubio sets Timberwolves record for most assists in a single game
In his time with the Wolves, Rubio has recorded 17 assists in a single game five times. It wasn’t until the best month of his career that he was able to best his own record. On March 13, 2017, Rubio tallied 19 assists against the Washington Wizards.
Rubio’s passing prowess was on full display that night with assists coming by way of his full arsenal of passing. Of course, unlike the objectivity inherent to scoring points, assists are a different story.
They are recorded by the score keepers, just like other stats. But assists don’t have a hard and fast rule set that clearly defines them.
According to the NBA website:
"“An assist is a pass that directly leads to a basket. This can be a pass to the low post that leads to a direct score, a long pass for a layup, a fast break pass to a teammate for a layup, and/or a pass that results in an open perimeter shot for a teammate. In basketball, an assist is awarded only if, in the judgement of the statistician, the last player’s pass contributed directly to a made basket. An assist can be awarded for a basket scored after the ball has been dribbled if the player’s pass led to the field goal being made.”"
With this in mind, the tape of that game shows some subjectively loose assists.
But nonetheless, they were tallied and Rubio surpassed his own record, definitely making it a moment to remember.
And as always with Tricky Ricky, it was certainly a blast to watch.
1. Ricky Rubio scores career-high 33 points
For certain players in the league, 33 points is nothing more than a casual outing. 30+ point games are not uncommon on a nightly basis around the association.
However, not all guards are built to score. And an elite shooter, Ricky Rubio is not. With career percentages of 31.5 beyond the arc, and 37.5 overall, Rubio rarely has games as a breakout scorer.
But on one night in March 2017 (the best statistical month of Rubio’s career), Rubio scored a career-high 33 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
A quick look at the tape reveals a shade of Rubio that has seldom been seen: confident shooting.
Rubio looked unafraid to take shots that normally seemed to utterly scare him.
He sunk four three-pointers on five attempts, which is white hot for a shooter like Rubio.
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Along with five free throws, the Spanish guard ultimately posted 33 points, breaking his previous record of 28 points, which was set on the Wolves’ 2015-2016 season opener. Coincidentally, that game was also against the Lakers.