Beloved ex-Wolves guard Ricky Rubio thanks Minnesota in full-page ad

Beloved former Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio took out a full back-page ad in the Minnesota Star Tribune this week, thanking Minneapolis and the entire state for everything it gave him during his NBA career.

Rubio has also made a couple interesting posts on social media recently. It’s not totally clear if the 34-year-old is announcing his retirement from professional basketball, hinting at a return, or just feeling reflective. The former might make the most sense, but he also hasn’t outright said anything about retiring.

“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,” Rubio said on X/Twitter. “This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a thank you to all the people who have helped me along the way.”

Rubio last played for Barcelona in the 2023-24 season. He last played in the NBA with the Cavaliers the year before that.

Born in El Masnou, Spain in 1990, Rubio began his professional basketball career at just 14 years old. He played in Liga ACB and the Euroleague for several years before being drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA draft. After a couple more seasons, he came over to Minnesota in 2011 and was immediately a fan favorite due to his style of play and infectious personality. Rubio finished second in rookie of the year voting in 2011-12 and spent six seasons with the Wolves. It was in Minnesota where he navigated the death of his mother to cancer in 2016.

Rubio also played for the Jazz, Suns, and Cavaliers in his NBA career, and he had a second stint with Minnesota in the 2020-21 season (Anthony Edwards’ rookie year). In August 2023, he announced he was pausing his career to focus on his mental health. In January 2024, he announced his retirement from the NBA. Rubio suited up again for Barcelona towards the end of the 2023-24 season but did not play this past year.

Across 12 NBA seasons, Rubio recorded 5,160 assists, making him one of 74 players in league history to reach the 5K mark.

Here’s the ad Rubio took out in the Star Tribune. He apparently put similar ads in other newspapers in cities that were meaningful to his basketball career.

Ricky Rubio thanks Minnesota in a Star Tribune back-page ad. / u/MidwayBoy on Reddit (r/minnesota)

Thank you for waiting for me and for being my home for so long. I arrived not knowing where I was headed, and you welcomed me like a rock star. All the warmth from a place people said was cold. With you, I discovered that not everything is as it seems. The NBA. And how you can connect with people on the court even when words don’t quite match. You showed me Uptown, brunch at French Meadow, dinners at Seven. And how a kid from Lebanon and one from El Masnou can come together in Minneapolis. Also the injuries. And how you can be a dad without actually being your dad. And that there are other ways to care, and other ways to say ‘I need to go to the bathroom.’ Lake Minnetonka. The WNBA, the Lynx, and how to win a ring. Two Basques. La ‘Quadrilla.’ Catan nights. Cabin getaways in Brainerd. You introduced me to one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, and showed me that being a mentor is more than it looks. You showed me what it means to be trusted and what a big contract really is. You also showed me how hard cancer is, and that not every journey ends as you imagine, but also that life can come full circle. You showed me that cancer can hit close, even when you’re far away. With you, I lived my mother’s battle with cancer, and you even helped me give her a few more months. Thank you, Minneapolis, for so many discoveries. Thank you for so much warmth. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re cold.