Ricky Rubio, the veteran guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers who was expected to suit up for the Spanish national team at the FIBA World Cup this summer, announced on Saturday that he’ll put his career on an indefinite pause. In a statement, Rubio asked for privacy as he steps away from the game, but announced that his hiatus will be in an effort to focus on his mental health.
“I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health,” Rubio said. “I want to thank all the support I have received from the (Spanish national team) to understand my decision. Today #family makes more sense than ever. Thank you. I would ask that my privacy be respected so that I can face these moments and be able to give more information when the time is right.”
As Brian Windhorst of ESPN noted, Rubio left Spain’s training camp and was not part of the team’s game against Venezuela on Friday that served as a tune-up for the World Cup. Spain will begin its World Cup group play slate on August 26.
Rubio, who will turn 33 in October, is about to enter his 13th season as an NBA player, and has two seasons remaining on his contract with the Cavaliers. His 2022-23 campaign did not begin until January as he was recovering from an ACL injury he suffered the prior season. In all, Rubio appeared in 33 games with a pair of starts for Cleveland last season, and averaged 5.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 17.2 minutes a night.