Spain's boy wonder debuted in the ACB at 14 years and 11 months — the youngest ever — and in the EuroLeague days after turning 16. Drafted fifth by Minnesota in 2009, he stayed home with Barcelona long enough to win the 2010 EuroLeague crown, then ran the Timberwolves offense for six seasons before a June 2017 trade brought his artful passing to Utah for two years.
He was candid about the game's toll. In August 2023 Rubio stepped away from basketball to prioritize his mental health, and in January 2024 he announced his retirement from the NBA. The story then circled home — he returned to play for Joventut Badalona, the club where he began at 14.
HOW HE CAME & WENTMinnesota traded him to Utah for a first-round pick on June 30, 2017, clearing Timberwolves cap space hours before free agency. Two years later Utah acquired Mike Conley and Rubio signed a three-year deal with Phoenix.
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| SEASON | TEAM | G | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | UTA | 77 | 29.3 | 13.1 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 0.1 | .418 | .352 | .866 |
| 2018–19 | UTA | 68 | 27.9 | 12.7 | 3.6 | 6.1 | 1.3 | 0.1 | .404 | .311 | .855 |
| JAZZ TOTAL | 2 SEASONS | 145 | 28.6 | 12.9 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 0.1 | .412 | .332 | .861 |
Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗ · Wikipedia ↗