Spanish star Ricky Rubio talks about his transition in Minnesota Timberwolves – NBA Update
Ricky Rubio, the new point guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves, spoke about the transition to the NBA in a recent interview. The player is in Spain currently and he mentioned the change of culture, he will have to face when he
starts playing with the Timberwolves.
Rubio was actually drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2009. The player was the 5th overall pick after he had impressed at the Olympics the previous year and left an impression on some seasoned NBA players.
However, he already had a contract with Spanish side Barcelona and the buyout was high enough for the player to decide against departing to USA. He played two more years for Barcelona and this year after winning the Spanish league
with the side, Rubio decided to make his belated move to the NBA.
Before joining up with the Spanish squad for their preparations of the EuroBasket tournament, Rubio came over to the United States and practiced with his new Minnesota teammates; including star power forward Kevin Love.
Speaking of the little experience he had of the United States and the challenge he faces when he finally plays there, Rubio had this to say,
“I approach it with more hope than fear, and with great respect for things,” he said. “I have a huge desire to live this experience, both on the court and off it. I have never moved house before. I have never had that change. I
want to have that change of culture, though I don’t want to lose the connection to family that I have.”
Apart from mentioning the culture shock and his family ties, something you would expect of a player so young, Rubio also touched on his need to bulk up in order to survive in the physically taxing NBA,
“I think it will be physically harder than Europe – I will need to do more weights,”
Rubio certainly would have to add some muscle to his current slender frame. Adding some weight will help Ricky stand his ground against bigger point guards in the NBA.
Better conditioning will also come in handy as the game in the United States is much faster as compared to Europe and Timberwolves General Manager David Kahn has already mentioned that he wants the team to be one of the fastest
in the league for the coming season.
Rubio definitely has a lot of talent, especially in terms of his playmaking ability. He has been playing the game at a very high level for years now so that will make definitely make it easier for him. If he can get his shooting
on track, the Timberwolves have quite a player on their hands.
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