Ricky Rubio to play in Spain only if season is lost – NBA Update
Minnesota Timberwolves’ recently acquired Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio has downplayed his chances of returning to Spain next season, saying he could only see that happening if the whole NBA season was lost.
The NBA has locked out its players and there is a chance that the whole season could be lost as the two sides do not, at this moment, seem likely to find an early solution to their differences.
The owners want drastic changes to the financial equation in the NBA, while the players want the previous system to continue. Due to the wide ranging differences between the two sides, the lockout looks likely not to end any time
soon. In fact, things went from bad to worse when the NBA sued the players on Tuesday.
In the current scenario, a lot of players are heading to Europe or elsewhere to find playing time while the dispute peters out. Spanish star Rubio was strongly linked with former club Barcelona in the press recently, with various
reports suggesting that the Spanish champions would like to have him back for another season.
Rubio however doesn’t see much point in a return to the club, unless the whole of the NBA season is lost, in which case he would seem pretty naive just to sit it out. Ricky only joined the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer, just
before the lockout began. He had been drafted by the franchise in 2009, but could not make the move at the time due to buy-out issues.
After two more years at Barcelona running down his contract, Rubio finally made the much anticipated switch this year. The Timberwolves moved on point guard Jonny Flynn in order to make room for the Spaniard and are already looking
to get in a system that suits his game.
Ricky wants to repay the faith that David Kahn and the franchise have put in him and says he would like to stick around now that he is finally in Minnesota,
“A full year without playing would be counterproductive, but just a few months would not. I’ve always thought the lockout wouldn’t last the whole year, that’s why I took the decision” Rubio said.
Rubio, who is currently with the Spanish national team preparing for the upcoming Euro Basket tournament, went on to state that if a prolonged lockout did force him to seek playing time back in Europe, he would like to play for
former club Barcelona where he has played for quite a few years and feels a certain loyalty towards the club.
“But if I had to make it back to Europe, Barça would be my first option.”
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