Ricky Rubio steps on the hardwood again

Ricky Rubio has stepped on the hardwood again.

To touch the ball.

Move it.

Shoot baskets.

The wrist game, the jump jump.

After months of reflection and golf clubs, returning home and living with his family, the Spanish basketball prodigy, who is now a father and has as many memories as titles, returned to training.

It is one more step in his recovery.

“My mind went to a dark place,” he confessed a few weeks ago, years after having named the depression and suffering he suffered after losing his mother, Tona, to cancer.

Seeing him wearing the Barcelona shirt again, as he did yesterday, is good news.

Not even if it's just to see him dribble the ball again.

The doors of the Palau have been opened to Ricky by the team in which he played between 2009 and 2011 and with which he was champion of the Euroleague, ACB and Copa del Rey, on two occasions, before landing in the NBA, with little more than twenty years.

The Catalan point guard, who at the beginning of January announced that he was leaving the American league after 12 seasons in the elite to take care of his mental health, reached an agreement this week with the Barça club to train with the team.

More information

Ricky Rubio will train with Barça: “I feel strong enough to see how I react with a ball in my hands”

It will be necessary to see if he also returns to compete.

But that is still not talked about behind closed doors.

This was noted by the Barcelona coach, Roger Grimau, who was full of praise for Rubio, with whom he coincided dressed as a Barça player during his playing days: “Seeing Ricky on a court is good news, but only and exclusively for their recovery process.”

The coach tried to relax the expectations that exist in relation to a possible return of Rubio to the team.

“I am happy as a person and we also have to be very happy that he has chosen our club in his recovery process,” he added.

Grimau also acknowledged that it is difficult to contain the expectations of many Barça fans, who see a real possibility of Rubio joining the team's ranks, a negotiation that is on the table.

“I know there is a lot of focus, but inside we try to shield ourselves and do our job.

We cannot avoid the expectation, but the important thing is to live it normally,” declared the coach.

Minutes before, he himself had hinted at his desire for the expectation to be fulfilled, stating that Rubio was "physically well" and that he trained "as if he had been on the team for a long time."

“I have to give him few orders, before he finishes the sentence, he already knows what I mean, the routine with Ricky is easy because he knows the house,” added the technician.

The person, ahead

Point guard Nico Laprovittola spoke along the same lines: “We know it's Ricky, but he is another teammate who is joining in to train.

He hasn't signed yet, we have to let him manage his time, be calm and be patient,” he said.

“We all love and admire him very much and we have to support him, because the person goes above the player,” added Laprovittola.

Quin plaer veure't on the track 😍 pic.twitter.com/8ouBE77zTM

— Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) January 30, 2024

Rubio completed a full day of training normally, which included going to the gym, attending a video session and taking part in track practice.

On his return, the Catalan player found himself in a familiar environment, with four teammates from the Spanish team in the locker room (Willy Hernangómez, Darío Brizuela, Joel Parra and Álex Abrines), Grimau himself and also his assistant, Víctor Sada, as well like the sports director, Juan Carlos Navarro, key for Ricky to wear Barça again.

The announcement of the return generated a wave of reactions.

Real Madrid coach Chus Mateo defined the point guard as “an extraordinary person, who deserves everything good.”

And Ricky's training club, Joventut, dedicated a message to him on his X account, being very happy about the news.

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