In order to give his mental health top priority, guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers Ricky Rubio has made the decision to retire from the NBA. Rubio, 33, made his choice known on Thursday after 12 years in the league. This happened soon after news of Rubio’s agreed-upon contract buyout with the Cavaliers was revealed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

When Rubio announced his retirement, he said that July 30 was one of the darkest evenings of his life. That summer, he was supposed to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup for his home country of Spain, the defending champions.

But the next day, he ended his profession because of the dark challenges he was having with his mental health. Since announcing on August 5 that he would be taking a mental health leave, Rubio has not performed.

Rubio has made the decision to completely give up basketball after four months. He stated in his statement on Thursday that he would like to talk about his complete experience when the time is appropriate in the hopes that it could be helpful to those going through similar things. 

However, despite his ongoing commitment to his mental well-being, he also requests privacy for himself and his family. Rubio takes pride in his everyday achievements. But despite his ongoing commitment to his mental health, he also requests privacy for his family and himself. Rubio is proud of the progress he makes every day.

Highlights of Ricky Rubio’s NBA Career and His Legacy

At just 14 years old, Rubio made history by becoming the youngest player in the storied Spanish ACB League history when he began his career as a teenager. 

In the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him fifth overall. He spent six years establishing himself with the Minnesota Vikings before moving on to the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Cavaliers.

Rubio’s message from Thursday expressed his appreciation to all teams, but he specifically thanked the Cavaliers for their patience and consideration during his testing and the last portion of his career.

Rubio signed a lucrative three-year contract worth $18 million with the Cavaliers in the summer of 2022, despite the fact that a ruptured ACL limited him to just 67 games in the previous two seasons. He was a team mainstay the previous season, averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 33 games. He was especially valuable in the postseason.

Rubio ends the game with averages of 10.8 points and 7.4 assists. Prominent athletes such as Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Love considered him to be their ideal partner.

At What Point did Ricky Rubio Give up Playing Basketball?

Ricky Rubio declared on August 5 that he would be retiring from basketball and would not be participating in the Spanish Basketball Federation’s FIBA World Cup later that month, according to NBA.com.

“I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health,” he said in an August statement shared by the Spanish Basketball Federation. “I want to thank all the support I have received from the FEB to understand my decision. Today, #LaFamilia makes more sense than ever. Thank you.”

ESPN said on Thursday that Rubio and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who signed him in 2021, have reached an agreement to buy out his contract. He had not participated in team activities this season and had recovered from an ACL injury for the majority of the preceding two seasons.

The 12-year NBA veteran expressed his gratitude to the Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz, in particular, for their “extremely respectful and understanding of my situation and caring for me as a person” in his statement.

Also read: What is The Truth Behind Charles Barkley’s Absence in NBA 2K?