Despite Spain falling to defeat, the 33-year-old showed glimpses of what he can offer Barcelona in the EuroLeague (PHOTO: Alberto Nevado/FIBA)
Ricky Rubio return is good news for basketball
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5 Mins read
The basketball world tuned in for one of the feel-good stories of the 2023-24 season on Thursday night, as Ricky Rubio featured for Spain in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers, 319 days on from the last time he was seen on a basketball court.
While Spain ended up falling to defeat against Latvia, losing 75-79 in Zaragoza, basketball fans were able to rejoice in seeing the 33-year-old on the floor after what has been a difficult period for him. There were positive signs for FC Barcelona supporters, too, ahead of Rubio’s potential second debut for the club against AS Monaco on March 1.
Rubio officially rejoined Barca on February 6 and had been training with the team since January 29, but his last basketball game was back on April 9, 2023, when he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. Such was the difficult moment that Rubio was going through that he renounced his place in the Spanish national team for last summer’s FIBA World Cup, so seeing him playing again naturally brought plenty of smiles and positivity.
Rubio started on his return
Sergio Scariolo defied his pre-game comments, in which he stated that Rubio is “far from his best shape”, by naming the current Barca guard as a starter against Latvia. Naturally, there was a bit of rust to Rubio’s play early on, but the fans inside the Pabellon Principe Felipe were there to support him in whatever way they could. When Rubio shot an airball with his first attempt from the field, he was met by applause. The 10,533-strong crowd knew that they had to be there for him.
The first sign of the Rubio we have all come to love came with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter, as he used his basketball IQ to pick out Valencia Basket’s Xabi Lopez-Arostegui with a smart pass from an inbound situation. Then, when he went to the bench with 4:36 left in the quarter, he was once again met by applause. Even if he was showing signs of frustration with his own play, the fans were on hand to show their support.
After a 10-minute spell on the bench, Scariolo called Rubio’s number once more. He dished a couple of assists in the second quarter before getting his first points since his return, going 2-for-2 from the free-throw line with 49.2 seconds on the clock after being fouled while attempting a fadeaway jumper.
Just like in the first half, Rubio started the third quarter and moved to 5 assists with a dish to Valencia’s Jaime Pradilla, who scored from mid-range with 5:30 remaining. When he went to the bench with 5:00 left in the third, there was another round of applause for the 2019 FIBA World Cup winner. Let’s not forget that Rubio also won a gold medal with La Roja at EuroBasket 2009 and EuroBasket 2011.
Rubio almost became the hero
When Rubio came back into the game, there was 4:52 to go in the fourth quarter and Spain trailed Latvia, 64-66. It felt like a storybook ending was on the cards. After netting a mid-range jumper — his first field goal of the night — to make it 66-68 with 2:53 left, he added a couple of free throws to keep things close, 68-70.
Rubio was again on hand to respond for Spain, knocking down a triple with 58.2 seconds remaining to set a 71-73 score. Once more, Rubio added to his own personal run by going 2-for-3 from the line after being fouled by Virtus Segafredo Bologna’s Rihards Lomazs, who had just hit a three down the other end, as the score read 73-76. That 9-point spurt by Rubio meant that Spain had a chance to grab the win with 38.5 seconds remaining.
Things did not quite go to plan, however, as Latvia came away with a 75-79 victory. Nevertheless, given that this was Rubio’s first game in 10 and a half months, there were plenty of signs of what he could offer Barcelona: an elite-level playmaker who knows how to step up in crunch time.
Rubio should get some more minutes under his belt when Spain faces Belgium on the road in Charleroi on Sunday, and that can only be good news for all basketball fans.