Overcoming psychological problems, a genius boy made a comeback and scored 18 points, 12 years of NBA is a dream

When the whistle sounded in the new La Liga season, Juventus defeated Granada 87-75, a familiar and unfamiliar figure ignited the whole game - former NBA player Rubio, the "Spanish Golden Boy" who had struggled with psychological problems, returned to the court after a long time of violating the court. In his debut, he handed in 19 minutes of 4 of 7 shots, 1 of 3-pointers, and 9 of 9 free throws, scoring 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. This comeback battle is not only a personal victory, but also a look back on the past NBA career full of glory and struggle. The 12-year league journey is like a dream of ups and downs for him. The fate of Rubio and basketball was destined as early as childhood. At the age of 10, he once stood at the intersection of basketball and football. At that time, football was very popular in Spain. He also showed good football talent and devoted himself to football training at one time. But the charm of basketball is always lingering in his heart - his father is a basketball coach, his brother is an excellent basketball player, and the family's basketball genes constantly call him; the rhythm of basketball hitting the wooden floor is the most beautiful music to him; the relationship between angles and geometry on the court fascinates him. In the end, he followed his heart and chose basketball, "I miss basketball so much, it's something deep in my heart." This heartfelt words started his basketball career.

In 2005, 14-year-old Rubio joined Juventus and became the youngest player in the history of the Spanish ACB League. His talent was amazing when everyone was first revealed. From 2007 to 2009, he was elected FIBA ​​European Young Player of the Year for three consecutive years. His extraordinary vision and fancy passing techniques on the court made fans crazy. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, at the age of 17, he competed with the Spanish national team for gold medals with the American "Redification Team". Facing top stars such as Kobe and James, he was not afraid. Even though the Spanish team finally lost 107-118, his performance of 6 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists still made him famous. "I played very happily, and I could even finish the game with only one leg left." This love for basketball supports him to move forward. In 2009, he helped the Spanish team win the gold medal in the European Basketball Championship. Ten years later, he led the team to the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup championship and won the final MVP, and gradually grew from an "Internet celebrity player" on Youtube to a real stadium commander.

In 2009, Rubio ushered in the starting point of his NBA career, and the Timberwolves selected him in the fifth pick. But at that time, his contract buyout cost of Juventus was more than $6.5 million, while the Timberwolves could only pay $500,000. In desperation, he had to stay in Spain first and officially landed in the NBA two years later. On June 20, 2011, when he and his family arrived at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, more than 100 fans, team staff and cheerleaders greeted him "feel like a rock star." At the Timberwolves, he partnered with young All-Star Kevin Love and made his mark under head coach Rick Adelman. His passes are full of imagination, and his passes behind him without looking at people, and his all-received passes across the half, igniting the field again and again, making the passes a "cool thing" among the league defenders again. During that time, the Timberwolves once achieved a record of 21 wins and 19 losses, and launched an attack in the playoffs, and everything was developing in a good direction.

However, the turning point in fate came unexpectedly. In the key game against the Lakers on March 9, 2012, the Timberwolves led by 1 point in the last 17 seconds of the game. Kobe's collision caused Rubio tore the ACL ligament on his left knee. He fell to the ground in pain, and the Timberwolves fell silent at home. This injury not only shattered the team's hope of rushing to the playoffs, but also completely changed his NBA career. The recovery process was long and difficult, and it didn't end until the first six weeks of the second season, and it took another six weeks to get back to its ideal form. After returning from injury, he became cautious in playing basketball. Without the boldness and adventure of the past, even if he occasionally showed his starting point guard level, he would never be able to find the magic of his rookie season. "I always remember the day I was injured," and the shadow of injury always enveloped him.

The house was raining all night long. A few days before the 2015-16 season, Philip Sanders, the president of Timberwolves basketball operations, passed away due to Hodgkin's lymphoma; in 2016, his mother Tona died of lung cancer, which was devastating to him, "I wanted to retire directly at that time." But even though he suffered the pain of his close relative's death, he still forced himself to maintain a positive professional attitude and prevent negative emotions from affecting the team. "I have to play on the court, and that's what I'm here for." In 2017, he was traded to the Jazz for a disagreement with head coach Tom Thibodeau, ending his career with the Timberwolves. "The Timberwolves will always have a special place in my heart." When he mentioned this period of time, he was full of emotion.

The days at the Jazz were a comfort in Rubio's NBA career. The characteristics of the medium-sized football market here and the tradition of treating players allowed him to quickly integrate into it. In his first season with the Jazz, the team won 48 regular season games, and he finally tasted the playoffs after entering the league's seventh season. In the first round against the Thunder, he beat Westbrook against him, averaging 14 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. "I've been thinking about how we beat them as a team." During this period, he also worked with the "A Breathof HopeLung" foundation to raise funds for cancer research to commemorate his mother, while actively participating in community activities, hoping to become a good role model for children's growth, "we must make good use of our popularity." In the summer of 2019, Rubio signed with the Suns as a free agent, stayed here for a year, and also welcomed the birth of his son Liam. In the 2020-21 season, he returned to the Timberwolves, but his warm reunion ended hastily due to the epidemic. In the 2021 offseason, he was traded to the Cavaliers. At first, he was worried about this young team and was soon conquered.. He scored 37 points at Madison Square Garden at the beginning of the season and led the team to win. He averaged a career-high 13.1 points throughout the season. He finally felt "an unrivaled state" again, "both physically and mentally, and I have never felt this way."

But happy times are always short. In the game against the Pelicans on December 18, 2021, he suffered a left knee injury again, and the pain in 2012 was staged again. Although he remained active and posted an interview video of Kobe "Always persevering" to encourage himself, this time, the injury brought not only physical pain, but also gradually collapsed his psychological defense. In January 2022, Rubio, who played for the Cavaliers, announced his official retirement, and his 12-year NBA career came to an end. The decision to retire from

stemmed from his long-term struggle with psychological problems. He left the court to solve his mental health problems four months before announcing his retirement. He politely mentioned that July 30 was "one of the hardest nights of my life" and that "the feeling of losing control of myself led to my desire to end my career." For many years, he has been a positive and optimistic person in the eyes of the outside world. He "has always wanted to maintain a positive attitude, and sometimes even deceived himself for it." But the more he escaped, the more he was entangled with pain. Those "dark days in the world" still make him feel goosebumps when he still thinks of it, "I need to rebuild myself from the inside out with the help of the outside world."

He admitted that the root of depression may not be major events in the traditional sense such as the death of a mother and injuries, but the accumulation of small things from childhood to adulthood. He became a professional player at the age of 14. The pressure of more than 20 years made him wonder, "Is it the best thing for me to be a professional player at such a young age?" He even regretted not being able to enjoy a wonderful childhood, "I hope I can enjoy a wonderful childhood." Because of basketball, when he was fighting in the United States, his mother was receiving cancer treatment in Europe; because of basketball, he had to leave his wife and his newborn son to go away with the team. The long-term contradictions and conflicts made him completely lost, "I don't know who I am, I have to rebuild myself."

Fortunately, the support of his family, friends, former teammates and basketball people has gradually made him get out of the fog. He took the initiative to seek help, and found peace of mind after staying away from basketball. He spent Christmas with his family at his Spanish home for the first time since 2011, making up for the wonderful moments he missed in basketball in the past. "The praise and respect of the people around me is my championship trophy." He hopes to be regarded as a good person, "What people will remember is you and the feelings you bring to them, rather than whether you play the ball well or badly."

Now, Rubio returns to the European arena, and his outstanding performance in La Liga debut proves that he has not bid farewell to basketball. Although his NBA career has come to an end, he admitted that "the possibility of returning to the European arena is not ruled out." "I hope not, and I may try it again in the end. I believe that it will be a completely different me at that time." In his 12-year NBA career, there are glory and pain, laughter and tears, like a dream with ups and downs. Now, after waking up from his dream, he opened a new chapter in his life with his love for basketball and his rebuilt self. In the future, he will put his situation first and continue to write his own story.