On Saturday, Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard Ricky Rubio announced that he is stepping away from basketball to focus on his mental health.
“I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health,” Rubio said. “I want to thank all the support I have received from the [Spanish national] team to understand my decision. “Today #family makes more sense than ever. Thank you. I would ask that my privacy be respected so that I can face these moments and be able to give more information when the time is right.”
The 32-year-old was expected to play for the Spanish National team in the FIBA World Cup this summer.
Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement that the team will support Rubio.
“We were informed today by Ricky and his representation that he has decided to step away from his illustrious basketball career to focus on his mental health at this time,” Altman said. “We understand how difficult of a decision this was for him and will balance providing whatever support we can while simultaneously respecting Ricky’s request for privacy.”
At this point, there’s no word on when or if Rubio will return to basketball.
Last season, Rubio, who returned in January from a torn ACL, averaged 5.2 points on 34% shooting and 3.4 assists per contest.
