Rubio with the Timberwolves in 2014
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No. 9 – Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Point guard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
El Masnou, Spain |
October 21, 1990 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Spanish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2005–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2009 | DKV Joventut Badalona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2011 | FC Barcelona Bàsquet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011–present | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Ricard "Ricky" Rubio i Vives (born October 21, 1990) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish ACB League on October 15, 2005, at age 14. He made his EuroLeague debut on October 24, 2006, at age 16, becoming the first player born in the 1990s to play in a EuroLeague game. On June 25, 2009, he was drafted with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft by the Timberwolves, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted by the NBA. The Timberwolves had an agreement in principle with his former Spanish team, DKV Joventut, to buy out his contract, but Rubio backed out of the deal. On August 31, 2009, Joventut traded the rights to Rubio to FC Barcelona, and Rubio signed a six-year contract with FC Barcelona the following day. On May 31, 2011, Rubio reached an agreement with Minnesota to join the Timberwolves for the 2011–12 NBA season.
Rubio was regarded by some as the best European guard prospect ever. Rubio has been compared by some to Pete Maravich.
On June 24, 2009, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired the 5th pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov from the Washington Wizards, in exchange for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. With the 5th pick, Minnesota selected Rubio, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted. The Timberwolves had a total of four first round picks in the 2009 NBA draft. They used the 6th and 18th picks in the first round and chose two other point guards, Jonny Flynn from Syracuse and Ty Lawson from North Carolina, surprising many in the NBA. Lawson's draft rights were soon traded to the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves then used the 28th pick to select Wayne Ellington, a shooting guard from North Carolina.