Ricky Rubio Announces NBA Retirement After Contract Buyout With Cavs

After coming to terms on a contract buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, 12-year veteran point guard Ricky Rubio announced his NBA retirement.

Stemming from the news of his contract buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers this morning, 12-year veteran NBA point guard Ricky Rubio has officially announced his retirement from the league.

Rubio's statement via Twitter/X:

Hello, 

July 30th was one of the toughest nights of my life. My mind went to a dark place. I kind of knew I was going in that direction, but I 've never thought I wasn't under control of he situation. The next day, I decided to stop my professional career.

One day, when the time is right, I would love to share my full experience with you all so I can help support others going through similar situations. Until then, I would like to keep it private out of respect for my family and myself, as I'm still working on my mental health. But I'm proud to say I'm doing much better and getting better every day.

I wanted to post this message for you today because my NBA career has come to an end.

It all started on June 2009, draft night in New York. What a dream. After playing 12 years in the league, with all its ups and downs, I have collected lots of good memories and relationships. Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland. Wow! Thank you.

Special mention to Cleveland. My last home. I know the way things ended have been tough. I could never have imagined the year would develop this way, but you have an amazing organization, with Koby [Altman] and J.B. [Bickerstaff], who have been extremely respectful and understanding of my situation and caring for me as a person.

Thank you all for the love and support.

Jan 31, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (13) brings the ball up court in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It's telling that Rubio went the extra mile to show how graceful the Cavs organization was with his mental well-being. A classy tip of the cap from one of the most respected vets in the locker room.

Before his devastating ACL injury, Rubio was coming off an amazing run with the Spanish national team and continued that momentum into his best statistical NBA season in 2021-22. 

With the Cavs that year, the veteran point guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He also averaged a career-high 5.1 threes.

Over 698 NBA games played overall, Rubio averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest.