Guard Ricky Rubio, called the ‘Spanish basketball genius’, has ended his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA).It has been 12 years since he entered the American stage, the center of world basketball.Rubio made a statement on social networking services (SNS) on the 4th (local time) and said, “I am posting this message because my NBA career is over.”“It all started the night the draft was held in New York in June 2009. It was like a dream,” he said. “I built great memories and great relationships while playing in this league for 12 years. I played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Cleveland Cavaliers. ‘Thank you all,’ he wrote.Rubio announced in early August of last year that he would temporarily suspend his activities as a professional athlete, citing sudden mental health problems.
He has not officially announced his intention to ‘retire’ after completing his career as a player.If Rubio, who ended his NBA career with this announcement, resolves his mental problems and returns to the court, there is a high possibility that he will play in his home country, Spain.Regarding this, Rubio said, “July 30th of last year was the hardest moment of my life. My mind was in darkness,” and “I decided to stop my playing career the next day.”“I would like to share my full experience when the time is right,” he said, adding, “I still need to look after my mental health.”Rubio, born in 1990, was called a ‘genius guard’ as he set the record as the youngest player to play in the Spanish professional basketball ACB league in 2005 when he was 15 years old.In 2008, at the age of 18, he was selected for the Spanish national team and participated in the Beijing Olympics.The U.S. national team, which featured NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, drew the attention of basketball fans around the world by playing against famous guards Jason Kidd and Chris 스포츠토토존 Paul with their bold play in the finals.