Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is retiring from the NBA after stepping away to address his mental health.
Rubio had a 12-year career in the league. The 33-year-old announced the decision Thursday, hours after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that he and the Cavaliers agreed on a contract buyout.
He began his announcement by looking back to July 30, a moment he described as one of the toughest nights of his life. Rubio was set to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup that summer for his home country of Spain, the defending champion at the time. But his “mind went to a dark place,” leading him to pause his career the next day. He announced his mental health break on Aug. 5.
Four months later, Rubio is stepping away from basketball entirely.
“One day, when the time is right, would love to share my full experience with you all so I can help support others going through similar situations,” Rubio wrote in a statement Thursday. “Until then I would like to keep it private out of respect for my family and myself, as I’m still working on my mental health. But I’m proud to say I’m doing much better and getting better everyday.”
Rubio began his career as teenager, becoming the youngest player in the history of the esteemed Spanish ACB League at 14 years old. He was the selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He played in Minnesota for the first six years of his career before stops with the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Cavaliers.
He thanked each team Thursday, giving a special mention to Cleveland for being “respectful and understanding” during the difficult and final chapter of his career.
The Cavaliers were prepared to accommodate Rubio’s potential return, but shifted toward a buyout after learning in recent weeks that Rubio had no plans to play again, per Wojnarowski. The franchise will recover another spot on the roster and some financial return in the buyout, which has $6.1 million left on this year’s contract and $6.4 million for 2024-2025.
Rubio was limited to just 67 games over the past two seasons due to a torn ACL. He signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Cavaliers in the summer of 2022. Last season, he played 33 games for the Cavaliers last season. Rubio averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 assists. Rubio served as a stabilizing force for the team during that campaign, especially in the postseason,
Rubio retires with averages of 10.8 points and 7.4 assists through his career. Multiple stars, including Kevin Love and Donovan Mitchell, have cited him as their favorite teammate.
