Former Minnesota Timberwolves star Ricky Rubio isn't hanging it up just yet.
Despite reports that interpreted a full-page ad that the 12-year NBA veteran put in the Minnesota Star Tribune as a farewell, Rubio clarified his intent behind the message.
Ricky Rubio
Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio
Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Rubio, who has not played a game of basketball in a year since his team in the Spanish league, Liga Endesa, lost in the semifinals. He spent a year reflecting on his career, prompting a profound thank you to the community that supported him in the NBA.
The fifth overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio spent two years playing overseas before he arrived in Minnesota.
Teasing his message of gratitude on X, Rubio wrote the following, which was taken as a hint of his retirement: "I took this year to reflect on my career and my life, and I’ve realized that if I’ve gotten to where I am today, it’s not because of the assists I’ve given, but because of the assists I’ve received," he wrote. "This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a thank you to all the people who have helped me along the way."
However, upon an outpouring of reactions to the post, Rubio released a formal statement from a communication agency to clarify that he is not retiring just yet.
From the agency, per Spanish news outlet Todo Alicante:
"This is not a farewell. It's just a thank you. It comes from my year of reflection, and I felt like doing something that is rarely done: thanking those who have been or are important to you. But it has no other message. I still don't know what will happen with my career. That will be the next thing to think about. This is something that comes from within now, and I want to express it while I am still professionally active, although forced to stop due to health issues,"
The message comes now because I have had enough time to think about everything I have done, and I have realized that what I have achieved is thanks to many people. And I wanted to thank them, massively. One never thanks enough, and doing so by reviewing both my journey as a person and a professional helped me convey it to everyone
You all know that certain family moments marked my career, that my mother's illness and passing were very hard, that many mental health issues followed, and that I have not turned that into a taboo subject. Precisely for that reason, I left the national team call-up, spent 6 months taking care of myself, tried to return with FC Barcelona, and had to stop again. Undoubtedly, this has led me on a journey and personal introspection from which this gratitude emanates.
Rubio appears to be looking for more opportunities to play basketball, although he last played in the NBA two years ago for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A fan favorite and galvanizing figure through a dim era for the franchise, Rubio played six seasons for the Wolves before he was traded to the Utah Jazz in 2017. He returned for one season and was an early mentor to Anthony Edwards.