At age 14, Ricky Rubio became the youngest player to play in the Spanish ACB league.
Three years after, a 17-year-old Rubio was already representing Spain in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
He was selected fifth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, and set foot on a memorable basketball journey.
Now 24 years old, Rubio says he always dreams big, and it has been the key for him to achieve milestones in his basketball career.
In his Adidas Take On Manila tour, Rubio aims to communicate with the young basketball players in the Philippines and inspire them to keep striving for their dreams. “I always dream about coming to the Philippines. I want to check it out,” Rubio quipped of the Filipino streetballers. “I want to get closer to all the fans and tell them they have the chance if they work hard, they can play in the NBA one day.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard also shared how he used to work 6 hours a day just to perfect his craft, and how he grew up idolizing the likes of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd.
Rubio said it was ideal to develop maturity on the floor early as he played with more experienced athletes. “Physically I was not ready as the other players. i was 5 to 6 years younger than them but I was working hard and playing smart,” he said.
But like other stars, Rubio has also faced challenges throughout his career. In 2012, Rubio tore his ACL. His advice to those also undergoing such situations is to look at it just day after day, and don’t overthink. “Don’t look too far. Don’t think about you will not be able to play again because it is a long process. Look at it week by week and see the progress,” he shared.
The Wolves guard added he has heard more about Philippines basketball when the national team competed in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain last year, saying the way Filipinos play “really close to the NBA style of play.”
As Rubio explores the rest of Manila in the following days, he wants to leave aspiring basketball players with a simple tip: “Work hard because the ones who work hard are those who make it.”
