By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Ricky Rubio had a sizzling season in the NBA, until his knee collided with Kobe Bryant. That was not only the end for him, but also the end of play offs dreams for Minnesota Timberwolves. He will also miss the London Olympics however he is only 22 years old. He has a bright future, the world of basketball that watch him closely since he was just a 15 years old boy, has high expectations from him and Ricky is ready to deliver.
Eurohoops.net had the pleasure to chat with him and he sure doesn’t hide his ambitions. He wants Minnesota to be like Oklahoma City, he is eager to play for the Spanish national team until he grows old and he wants to have the right to do it in the Olympics.
– First of all, how things are going after the surgery?
“Very good, it’s a slow process but I am progressing and exactly where I am suppose to be at this point. I go to rehab every day and I am getting better and better”.
– Do you think that someone jinxed Minesota this season and you were hit so hard by the injury bug?
“Every team had injuries this season, we had bad luck but that can only make us stronger and it’s already making us wanting to play better next season”.
– What can we expect from your team in the near future?
“We are a very young team, we are hungry to get better and play better to get in the next playoffs”.
– Are you jealous of Oklahoma City Thunder? Do you think that Minesota is going to emerge as a new NBA powerhouse the way that Thunder did?
“OKC is a good example to follow, is a young team with a lot of talent. We have to keep working hard so we can be a team like OKC”.
– Is Nicola Pekovic your ideal picκ and roll teammate? Is there a euro connection?
“Pekovic is a good center, he has amazing hands to catch the ball and has a very high basketball IQ. I enjoy playing with him because he knows his place on the court and you can trust him”.
– You have flourished in the NBA. It’s just a matter of timing, or your playing style is more suited in the NBA?
“I like the NBA style, I enjoy playing it. It is a very fast game and very entertaining”.
– Do you still follow European basketball and if so what is your opinion about your beloved Barcelona and Olympiacos miracle in Euroleague?
“I fοllow Εuropean basketball very closely because I really enjoy it. I watched the Final Four where OLY won two games playing very hard and good, the final was a very amazing game with a crazy end”.
– With the economy in bad shape in Europe, do you expect to see more players from the old continent trying their luck in the NBA?
“Any player from any country would always try to play in the best league of the world which is the NBA. We have a lot of talent in Spain and I hope the economy doesn’t affect the Spanish league”.
– Can you compare the level of Europe with the NBA? The gap is closing or the difference between the two is still big?
“It’s basketball, just different ways to play the same game”.
– What are your thoughts about missing the Olympics?
“I can’t do anything about that”.
– The golden generation of Spain is getting old. Are you ready to be the next leader of “furias Rojas”?
“We are lucky, we have a lot of talent in the national team, even though it will be hard to lose the two best players ever from Spain, Navarro and Pau Gasol, we still can do so much more”.
– What are your thoughts about the proposed age limit (23 years) to the Olympics, since you are already 22 years old and you will be over the limit after London? Have you ever thought that Beijing can be your last Olympic experience?
“Honestly, the Olympic games would not be the same if the players are restricted by age. The best players should play for their countries no matter what their age is”.