“My Mama Was Still Alive”: 33YO NBA Veteran Craved to Fulfill Ultimate Desire in Heartfelt Tribute (2019)

After being a professional basketball player for over half of his life, this European point guard announced his retirement on January 4, 2024. The 33-year-old Spaniard, who has been on a break from the NBA following his struggles with mental health, decided that it was finally time to hang up his jersey at the age of 33. In 2019, he wrote a column in The Players Tribune titled For You, Mama, years after his mother passed away from lung cancer. While talking about his experience from early on in his career to during his time in the US, Ricky Rubio revealed there was one goal that he wanted to achieve in the NBA.

“When my mama was still alive, I made a list in my head of what I wanted to accomplish as a player. One of them was to use my influence and platform to help people who need it. So I was able to cross that off the list. I still have a few things I haven’t crossed off the list. One of them is, ‘Win an NBA championship.’ I’m still working on it,” said Ricky Rubio.

Rubio was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009. But he stayed another 2 years in Spain before making his NBA debut in 2011. Over the next 12 years, he played for 4 teams in total. Ricky Rubio played in over 700 games in his career. However, he was not able to achieve his goal of winning an NBA championship.

In 2018, he made the Western Conference semifinals with the Utah Jazz, who had a young Donovan Mitchell. This was the closest he ever reached to fulfilling his dream. But the team fell short to the Houston Rockets, who had the reigning MVP at the time, James Harden.

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Ricky Rubio, who has shared the floor with a plethora of NBA superstars, failed to achieve his final goal. But he still left a significant impact on everyone that he has played with.

NBA superstars showed their love for Ricky Rubio after his announcement

Rubio has shared the floor with many young superstars in the NBA. This includes the likes of Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Zach Lavine, and many more.

So when the news broke that Rubio was retiring from the NBA, the players did not hold back while showing their appreciation for the great basketball mind. Devin Booker, who played with Rubio on the Phoenix Suns, said, “I’m gonna miss him on the court, but he’s a friend forever.“

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Donovan Mitchell, who played with Rubio on both the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, said, “Taught me so much in this game… I appreciate you more than you know! Love You Mi Hermano.”

Rubio’s teammates loved and appreciated him. The impact that he has left on them is just as important as everything that he has achieved in his professional career. What do you think of Ricky Rubio retiring from the NBA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!