The Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Ricky Rubio, announced his retirement on Thursday after playing for as many as 12 seasons in the league. He penned an emotional letter to let his fans across the world know that he is stepping away from the hooping world to focus more on his mental health.

After the Spanish native’s prolific career comes to a halt, his friend Devin Booker cannot help but shower his love and affection for Rubio. As per Gerald Bourget, this is what Booker said about his dear friend: “I’m gonna miss him on the court, but he’s a friend forever. Even though it was just one year [in Phoenix], it was so impactful to my career.”

With his wisdom and exemplary skills, Rubio made hooping extraordinary. He’s a true contender and a mentor, making everyone around him better. A positive force like Rubio will certainly be missed from the court, especially by Booker. It was he whose career took an upward trajectory in the Suns when Rubio was around.

Booker has always been extremely complimentary of Rubio and the fact that he helped him progress in his first year with the new team. Even though one might argue that signing him wasn’t that big a move for the Suns’ franchise, his forbearing gameplay and his on-court acumen raised the bar for everyone, including Booker. As per Booker, he helped him take his game to newer heights.

The Rubio-Booker alliance

When Rubio came to the Suns in 2019, Booker was incredibly bewildered. He had never played with a veteran and prolific point guard. In fact, he grieved with Eric Bledsoe by his side, at the time. This is when Rubio joined the franchise to take that pressure off him and the entire team. He has that nurturing quality.

Ricky Rubio Gives Up $5.4 Million to Prioritise Mental Health in Shocking Retirement Decision

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He averaged 8.8 assists, in each game with the Phoenix Suns in his 2019-20 season. The Spanish star came in like a breath of fresh air, just the way fans expected of him. His presence helped Booker incredibly. So much so, that Booked ended up putting his career-high points per game and his field goal percentage stats.

Both of them together led to the franchise’s famous “bubble run”, sparking the team’s turnaround and embedding that “winning” culture into the team. But the feelings that Booker shares for Rubio aren’t one-sided. Rubio also feels the same way. He’s called Booker “really special” as well, while still humbly stating his importance in helping Booker and the entire team improve his gameplay. Yet, at the same time, Rubio feels he isn’t the only one who is responsible for Booker’s career progression. He deserves his praise.

The special bond that Rubio and Booker share truly deserves an ovation from every fan who supports the Phoenix Suns, for they have given many extraordinary moments on the court and off. He definitely helped Booker and others on the team by stepping up and taking them under his wing. Rubio was the one who stood up for the team, playing to win, before it became common across the franchise.

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