There used to be a time when Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio was one of the youngest and most promising talents in the NBA. Although he’s not managed to make that jump into superstar status — or even into All-Star territory — what he’s doing this season with the Cavs is making people turn their heads again on the Spanish court general, who landed in The Land following a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves back in August.
Learning that he was traded to the Cavs, a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since LeBron James left Cleveland again in 2018, did not sit well with Rubio. He needed his wife to help him cope up with the move, per Joe Vardon and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
“Going to a team that didn’t win for the last four years, talking to my wife, it’s like we’re gonna go through a building process and at the end of the day. She’s the one who’s charged with (managing) my moods at home,” he said.
The Cavs have been surprisingly competitive this season, though, thanks in part to the veteran presence of Rubio, who is averaging 13.6 points, 6.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, so far this season.
Rubio is playing on a contract that would expire at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season, so it’s also imperative for him to put up good numbers and help the Cavs overachieve to boost his value in the market next year.
