Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ricky Rubio will not represent Spain at the World Cup. The point guard announced on social media that he would like to take some time off, citing mental issues.
“I have decided to take a break from my professional career to take care of my mental health. I want to thank everyone for their support. Especially my team, who understand my decision,” Rubio said in a statement.
This refers to the Spanish national team, which Rubio left last week. The 32-year-old was already missing in the squad of the reigning world champions against Venezuela on Friday. In 2019, Rubio led Spain to victory in China and was subsequently voted MVP of the tournament.
Most recently, Rubio had recovered from a cruciate ligament tear and appeared in just 33 NBA games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 assists. The Spaniard’s contract runs until 2025, and the former child prodigy will collect $ 12.5 million.
Spain’s head coach Sergio Scariolo supported the decision on social media: “In ‘La Familia’ people have always come before sporting success. All my love and support goes to Ricky. Great credit for sharing everything with the team and was completely transparent with us. With this action he showed again that he is always a role model, “wrote the Italian on Twitter.
In terms of sport, it is a heavy blow for Spain. In addition to Rubio, Lorenzo Brown, who shone at the European Championships in Germany in Rubio’s absence, will also be absent.
2023-08-05 16:46:00
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