The goalkeeper of the former beloved Ricky Rubio thank you Minnesota in a full page ad

Rubio played for the last time for Barcelona in the 2023-24 season. He played for the last time in the NBA with the riders the previous year.

Born in El Masnou, Spain in 1990, Rubio began his professional basketball career at only 14 years old. He played at the Liga ACB and the Euroleague for several years before being drafted fifth in the general classification by the Timberwolves during the draft of the NBA 2009. After a few more seasons, he came to Minnesota in 2011 and was immediately a favorite of fans because of his style of play and his contagious personality. Rubio finished second in recruit voting of the year in 2011-12 and spent six seasons with the Wolves. It was in Minnesota where he sailed on the death of his mother towards cancer in 2016.

Rubio also played for jazz, Suns and Cavaliers in his NBA career, and he had a second visit with Minnesota in the 2020-21 season (Recruit by Anthony Edwards). In August 2023, he announced that he was stopping his career to focus on his mental health. In January 2024, he announced his retirement from the NBA. Rubio adapted again for Barcelona towards the end of the 2023-24 season but did not play last year.

During 12 NBA seasons, Rubio recorded 5,160 assists, making him one of the 74 players in the history of the League to reach the 5K brand.

Here is the Ad Rubio which was withdrawn from the Star Tribune. He apparently put similar announcements in other newspapers in cities that had a sense for his basketball career.

Thank you for waiting for me and being my house for so long. I came without knowing where I was heading and you welcomed me like a rock star. The whole heat of a place that people said was cold. With you, I discovered that everything is not as it seems. The NBA. And how you can connect with people in the field even when the words do not quite match. You showed me in town, Brunch in French Meadow, dinners at the age of seven. And how a child from Lebanon and one by El Masnou can meet in Minneapolis. Also injuries. And how you can be a father without being your father. And that there are other ways to take care and other ways to say “I have to go to the toilet”. Lac Minnetonka. The WNBA, the lynx, and how to win a ring. Two Basques. The ‘crissier.’ Catan Nights. Cabin in Brainerd. You introduced me to one of the best coaches I have ever had, and showed me that being mentor is more than it seems. You have shown me what it means to trust and what a big contract is really. You have also shown me how hard cancer is, and that all the courses do not end as you imagine, but also this life can complete the loop. You have shown me that cancer can hit closely, even when you are far away. With you, I experienced my mother’s battle against cancer, and you even helped me give her a few more months. Thank you, Minneapolis, for so many discoveries. Thank you for so much warmth. Let no one tell you that you are cold.