Ricky Rubio Clarifies He Is Not Retiring Yet After Thursday's Message

The day after sparking various speculations by hinting at his retirement from basketball at the age of 34, Ricky Rubio wanted to clarify this Friday that the enigmatic message he posted on his social media was merely a 'thank you' to all those who have supported him throughout his career, and he even left the door open for a possible return to the court.

"This is not a farewell. It's just a thank you. It comes from my year of reflection, and I felt like doing something that is rarely done: thanking those who have been or are important to you. But it has no other message. I still don't know what will happen with my career. That will be the next thing to think about. This is something that comes from within now, and I want to express it while I am still professionally active, although forced to stop due to health issues," declared the legendary Spanish point guard this Friday through a communication agency.

"The message comes now because I have had enough time to think about everything I have done, and I have realized that what I have achieved is thanks to many people. And I wanted to thank them, massively. One never thanks enough, and doing so by reviewing both my journey as a person and a professional helped me convey it to everyone," added the Masnou native, who played his last game a year ago, on June 2, 2024, in the Endesa League semi-finals where Barça lost to Real Madrid.

"You all know that certain family moments marked my career, that my mother's illness and passing were very hard, that many mental health issues followed, and that I have not turned that into a taboo subject. Precisely for that reason, I left the national team call-up, spent 6 months taking care of myself, tried to return with FC Barcelona, and had to stop again. Undoubtedly, this has led me on a journey and personal introspection from which this gratitude emanates," revealed Ricky Rubio.

In the message he wrote and published on Thursday on his social media, the Catalan player reflected the following: "This year I have been reflecting on my career and my life in general, and I have realized that the real assists are the help I have received to get where I am. That's why I believed they deserved to be recognized. This is not a farewell. It's a thank you to all who have helped me. Thank you for the assist," indicated Ricky Rubio in his Instagram post.

In the video he published this Friday, he summarizes the athlete's purpose of expressing gratitude in capital letters, and in all the languages that have marked his career, to teammates, rivals, coaches, fans, cities, teams, the press, and, of course, his 'crew', friends, and family, after becoming a father for the second time.

Ricky assured that he is "very well" regarding his mental health issues and "physically perfect," as he has not stopped "training at any time," and he does not rule out returning to play basketball, although he acknowledges that a definitive retirement is also possible: "Everything is open. I might play again, why not? Or I might not play anymore, and that wouldn't be bad either. It's something I would like to consider soon. For now, I just wanted to say thank you and also see how that affects me as a person and if it gives me the energy to go in one direction or another."