Ricky Rubio absent from Cavs Media Day
The Spanish point guard was not present on the day when NBA players spoke to the media, while he remains focused on his mental health.
Ricky Rubio’s future in basketball remains uncertain. The Catalan point guard decided against joining the Spain squad for the recent FIBA World Cup in the Philippines to focus on his mental health and will announce his decision on when to return to training when he feels ready. Right from the outset, team mates, coaches and the federation showed their support for the player, so that he could take the necessary time and return stronger to the basketball courts.
Training starts
NBA training camps get underway from today, the preseason starts on Thursday and the start of the new season is getting closer. So in keeping with tradition, the usual Media Day was held at the start of the week. Players from all of the 30 teams are involved in the official presentation and attend the press, as a way to get familar with the new recruits and see the star players again following the summer break. At the Cleveland Cavaliers’ event, Ricky Rubio did not appear, while the directors showed their support for him.
“We remain fully supportive of Ricky and his efforts, which for now are best continued away from the team and have excused his absence from camp,” the Cavs said in a statement. “We remain in regular communication and consultation with Ricky and will continue to assist him in any way possible.”
President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman added during Media Day, “He’s working to get himself right. We give him that time and that runway to get himself healthy. We support him from afar and I think the thought process and hope is that he does return to Cleveland and the Cavaliers and helps us out this season. But we want to give him that time and that space to really get himself right”.
Altman did not mention the possibility of retirement. However, there is no specific timetable for his return to action. Ricky still has two more years on his contract with the franchise. Cleveland has always shown a particular appreciation for the Spanish point guard, who since the injury he suffered at the end of 2021 that prevented him from being in the last Eurobasket, they kept on the roster after free agency last summer.