Career Timeline of Ricky Rubio: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Ricky Rubio built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Ricard "Ricky" Rubio Vives is a Spanish professional basketball player. He achieved early recognition by becoming the youngest player in Liga ACB history at 14 years old in 2005. Shortly after turning 16, he debuted in the EuroLeague in 2006, ranking among the youngest to ever play in the competition.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

October 2005: Youngest player in Liga ACB

On October 15, 2005, at the age of 14, Ricky Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish Liga ACB.

2005: Spanish ACB League Debut

In 2005, Ricky Rubio debuted in the Spanish ACB League with DKV Joventut. He was the youngest player ever to debut in the ACB, at 14 years and 11 months, and he won the FIBA EuroChallenge championship with Joventut that year.

August 2006: FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship

In August 2006, Ricky Rubio led the rising junior Spain national team to the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. He achieved two triple-doubles and a quadruple-double during the tournament and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

October 2006: EuroLeague Debut

In October 2006, Ricky Rubio made his EuroLeague debut versus Panathinaikos of Athens as Joventut's backup point guard. His debut was on October 24, 2006.

2008: Competed in the Beijing Summer Olympics

In 2008, Ricky Rubio competed internationally with the senior Spain National Team at the Beijing Summer Olympics, alongside other NBA players.

April 2009: NBA Draft Eligibility

On April 20, 2009, Ricky Rubio declared himself eligible for the 2009 NBA draft. At the time, Dan Fegan was his agent.

June 2009: Timberwolves Acquire Rubio

On June 24, 2009, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired the fifth pick in the 2009 NBA draft, selecting Ricky Rubio, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted. In the 2009 NBA draft, the Timberwolves had a total of four first-round picks.

June 2009: NBA Draft

On June 25, 2009, Ricky Rubio was drafted with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, making him the first player born in the 1990s to be drafted by an NBA team.

August 2009: Delayed NBA Arrival

On August 31, 2009, ESPN reported that Ricky Rubio would not come to the NBA until 2011 at the earliest, despite the Timberwolves having a deal to bring him over. Rubio did not feel ready to cross the Atlantic at that time.

August 2009: Traded to FC Barcelona

On August 31, 2009, Joventut traded the rights to Ricky Rubio to FC Barcelona, and Rubio signed a six-year contract with FC Barcelona the following day.

2009: EuroBasket Gold Medal

In 2009, Rubio contributed to Spain's victory over Serbia in the EuroBasket tournament, securing the gold medal with a score of 85–63.

June 2011: Joins the Timberwolves

On June 1, 2011, reports indicated that Ricky Rubio had reached an agreement with Minnesota to join the Timberwolves for the 2011–12 NBA season. He held a press conference announcing that he had signed with Minnesota on June 17, 2011.

December 2011: NBA Regular Season Debut

On December 26, 2011, Ricky Rubio made his regular season NBA debut. It was the team's first sellout crowd since the 2007-08 season. Rubio recorded 6 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 26 minutes.

2011: Liga ACB Championship

In 2011, Ricky Rubio helped FC Barcelona win the Liga ACB Championship. He had been playing for FC Barcelona for the past two seasons as agreed upon with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

February 2012: Rising Stars Challenge Selection

In February 2012, Ricky Rubio and teammate Derrick Williams were selected to participate in the 2012 Rising Stars challenge. Rubio scored 22 points on February 19, 2012 in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

December 2012: Return From Injury

On December 15, 2012, Ricky Rubio returned from his ACL injury, playing for 19 minutes and totaling 9 assists and 8 points in an overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

March 2013: First Career Triple-Double

On March 13, 2013, Ricky Rubio recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

November 2013: Second Career Triple-Double

On November 11, 2013, Ricky Rubio recorded his second career triple-double with 12 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 113–90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

February 2014: Career-High Assists

On February 19, 2014, Ricky Rubio recorded a career-high 17 assists, along with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, in a win over the Indiana Pacers. This tied the Timberwolves' franchise record.

March 2014: Third Career Triple-Double

On March 19, 2014, Ricky Rubio recorded his third career triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in an overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks.

October 2014: Contract Extension

On October 31, 2014, Ricky Rubio signed a four-year, $56 million contract extension with the Timberwolves.

February 2015: Return from Ankle Sprain

On February 2, 2015, Ricky Rubio returned to action from his ankle sprain against the Dallas Mavericks, recording 10 points and 4 assists in a loss.

March 2015: Fourth Career Triple-Double

On March 2, 2015, Ricky Rubio recorded his fourth career triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

October 2015: Career-High Points

On October 28, 2015, Ricky Rubio scored a then career-high 28 points in a season opening win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

March 2016: Game-Winning Three-Pointer

On March 11, 2016, Ricky Rubio's three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining lifted the Timberwolves to a 99–96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished with 13 points and 12 assists.

January 2017: 292 Games Played

On January 11, 2017, in a win over the Houston Rockets, Ricky Rubio passed Sam Mitchell to move into fourth place on the team's career games played list with 292.

March 2017: Fifth Triple-Double

On March 4, 2017, Ricky Rubio recorded his fifth career triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On March 13, 2017, Rubio scored 22 points and broke his own franchise record with 19 assists in a win over the Washington Wizards.

June 2017: Traded to the Utah Jazz

In June 2017, Ricky Rubio was traded to the Utah Jazz after spending six seasons with the Timberwolves.

November 2017: Season-High Points

On November 1, 2017, Ricky Rubio scored a season-high 30 points in a 112–103 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

February 2018: New Season-High Points

On February 3, 2018, Ricky Rubio set a new season high with 34 points in a 120–111 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

March 2018: 30 Points, 10 Rebounds

On March 11, 2018, Ricky Rubio had 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 116–99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

July 2019: Signed with the Phoenix Suns

In July 2019, Ricky Rubio signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Phoenix Suns.

2019: FIBA Basketball World Cup Gold Medal and MVP

In 2019, Ricky Rubio led Spain to a gold medal in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, defeating Argentina in the final. Rubio was named the World Cup MVP and chosen as one of the FIBA World Cup All-Star Five. He was also named the Spanish Sportsman of the Year in 2019.

February 2020: Performance against the Utah Jazz

On February 24, 2020, Ricky Rubio recorded 22 points, 11 assists, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds in a 131–111 win against his former team, the Utah Jazz. He became the first Suns player since Kevin Johnson in 1996 to achieve at least 20 points, 10 assists, and 7 steals in a single game.

November 2020: Traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and then to the Minnesota Timberwolves

On November 16, 2020, Ricky Rubio was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with other players and a draft pick. Then, two days later in November 2020, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2020: Record for Most Points Scored Against Team USA in the Olympics

During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ricky Rubio broke the record for most points scored against Team USA with 38 points. The previous record was 35 points.

August 2021: Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers

In August 2021, Ricky Rubio was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Taurean Prince, a 2022 second round pick, and cash considerations.

February 2022: Traded to the Indiana Pacers

In February 2022, Ricky Rubio was traded to the Indiana Pacers along with draft picks in exchange for Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick. He did not play any games for the Pacers due to a knee injury.

July 2022: Returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers

In July 2022, Ricky Rubio, still recovering from an injury, returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year, $18 million contract.

January 2023: Return from Injury

On January 12, 2023, Ricky Rubio returned from injury, scoring nine points in ten minutes during his season debut in a 119–113 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

January 2024: NBA Retirement

In January 2024, Ricky Rubio announced that he would be retiring from the NBA.

January 2024: Contract Buyout and NBA Retirement

On January 4, 2024, Ricky Rubio and the Cavaliers agreed to a contract buyout. Later that same day in January 2024, Rubio announced his retirement from the NBA on social media.