I Love You Ricky Rubio
With any luck, we won’t have to hear about Ricky Rubio for a long while. Let me start by saying that my reasoning for not drinking the Rubio Kool-Aid has nothing to do with Ricky Rubio the person. Rather, it’s predicated by the second-hand hype he’s received that is based largely on three things:
1. He’s young and can dribble between his legs, behind his back and has shaggy hair. Therefore, he’s the reincarnation of Pistol Pete.
2. He has court vision and can make nice passes on the break. Therefore, he’s the successor to Steve Nash.
3. He looks like a Jonas brother. Therefore, he must be marketed and brought to the U.S.
Having said that, thank you Ricky Rubio, for putting us out of our misery early on.
I realize that many of you are fans of this kid. Nothing wrong with that. I, however, am not. I’ve seen his highlights, seen him play in the Olympics, and viewed his stats as a professional. I just haven’t been able to allow myself to hop on the bandwagon.
That isn’t to say that my opinion won’t be changed if he ever does come to the NBA. To be fair, he does seem to have good court vision and understands where his teammates are on the floor at such a young age. However, those qualities are overshadowed by some of the more bone-headed tendencies he’s displayed like dribbling too much or picking up his dribble, turning the ball over, and not being aware of defensive double teams.
Yes, I know he’s 18 and still has ample time to develop. But for heaven’s sake, let’s not crown him as the next big thing yet.
I probably would have a different opinion of him if he wasn’t so highly touted and compared to a legend like Pete Maravich so frequently. But, the fact remains that that is indeed the case and, frankly, it’s an insult to the Pistol.
Am I being too hard on Ricky? I could be. But maybe I’m just being realistic. If this deal in Europe does happen, and he has a favorable buyout in 2011, let’s revisit the Rubio train at that point.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
control says:
You forgot to add “no homo” at the end of the article…
August 26th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
c-viz says:
he’s not that good!!! He woulda got washed at the Elite 24 game i just watched. He would never dominate top level 18 or 17 year olds here in the states. what a waste of hype. I’m glad he isn’t coming over, next Darko no doubt!!
August 26th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
sh!tfaced says:
LOL. Reason number 3 just made it a whole lot easier to hate the fag…
Nice title, btw. It’s like posting smack in the Dime Blog…
August 26th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
oma says:
I hope this guy never comes back…I’m glad Johnny Flynn won’t have to waste his time teaching this guy how real ball is played
August 26th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
bk2lv says:
Preach….. comparing him to pistol is like pissing on the mans grave…. do people forget that pistol averaged like 44 in college with all the passing and court vision that rubio supposively posses…….. im happy he is back in europe, i never saw the hype and he probably didnt either or he would have came to the NBA…..
August 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
UglyBetty says:
44points with no 3pt line!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Sacto_J says:
He’s better than Americans give him credit for. Are you sick of hearing about Brandon Jennings yet? Cuz he’s just as hyped, far less talented, and has a bigger mouth which he’s constantly having to remove his foot from. Seems to me alot of Americans are upset by the fact that he’s not from here and therefore not part of the media circus that surrounds every 12 yr. old who has the potential to play the game at an elite level. Its not his fault he’s good and his highlight reel isn’t in HD. Kids got mad game and hopefully he gets the chance to shove all your ridiculous criticisms back down your fat greezy McDonald’s coated throats when his 2 yr. option comes up…
August 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Jacqueline Mitchell says:
All this talk about Ricky Rubio is giving me a headache. Can we please move on and talk about something else? Like when are the Knicks going to sign a player of signifigance?
August 26th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Yoooo says:
Brandon Jennings is NO WHERE near as hyped as Rubio. And the fact that he actually has a personality makes him entertaining. Rubio usually just stands around with dumb ass faces like he’s posing for Word Up! magazine or something… But because he listens to hip-hop, he’s supposed to be some kind of marketing magnet? Eff outta here, nobody’s buying into Harry Potter on the hardwood.
And Brandon Jennings would kick his ass too. Jennings has been gettin busy for YEARS over here. At least we’ve SEEN what he can do… Even Rubio’s highlights are subpar… How is your HIGHLIGHT tape ass??? Even Devendorf from Syracuse has a better highlight tape, hell I’m sure booty ass Bobby Frasor from UNC had a better one…
August 26th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
the cynic says:
hahahaha, he actually does look like a long lost jonas brother
August 26th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Pig says:
I just can’t stand these pistol pete comments..Pistol was a scorer Ricky is a point guard..their games are soooo different
August 26th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Zach says:
I was really looking forward to seeing Rubio play in the NBA. YOOOOO: Did you happen to watch the Olympics when he was leading the Spanish team at 16 years old and he had world class athletes listening to him and they had confidence in him. Who cares about highlights, hes a TEAM basketball player and a damn good one. Also he has played PROFESSIONAL basketball since he was 14 years old, if you haven’t seen him play thats your fault. If someone plays pro ball for 4 years there is tape of it somewhere. You probably didn’t even look, just jumped on the hater wagon
August 26th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Sacto_J says:
Apparently Jennings HAS been hyped since you’ve seen what Jennings can do. Rubio’s been getting busy for years too, Against professionals on a daily basis since he was 14. Jennings couldn’t even start for the team he played for, yet Rubio started for the Spanish Olympic team over other NBA guards who have started in the NBA. Yet he has no game!? Your arguments are redundant. Jennings has a personality!? Well, if you think T.O has a personality, then you’re right. The guy is so cocky he can’t keep from saying stupid shit every time someone sticks a camera in his face. The only reason that hasn’t happened in a while is cuz they probly banned him from media sessions so they didn’t have to release apologies on a daily basis.
Rubio > Jennings
August 26th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Zach says:
Rubio is not Pistol Pete to clarify I am not saying they are anywhere close
August 26th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
FedEx says:
The amount of hate for Rubio on this website is unreal.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Guitar Hero says:
Oh, so it’s OK to hype 18 year old Americans with ZERO professional experience, but it’s idiotic to hype a 18 year old European kid with 3 years of profissionalism, who starts for the World Champions Spain?
That so damn stupid.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Guitar Hero says:
Oh, so it’s OK to hype 18 year old Americans with ZERO professional experience, but it’s idiotic to hype a 18 year old European kid with 3 years of profissionalism, who starts for the World Champions Spain?
That’s so damn stupid.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Yoooo says:
Rubio wouldnt have even started in the Elite 24…
He was playing in a sublevel professional league when he was 14. he has NEVER put up big numbers in ANY of those leagues either by the way… I live in the United States where basketball was born and perfected, pardon me for not checking up on some 14 yr old peepsqueak with snuffalufagus (yea I googled it, suck one) like bangs… I’ve seen 4 star rated guards with more potential than Rubio. He’s ALWAYS been on the best teams, with great players. He’s never copped a MVP in any of his professional leagues, and has ducked coming over here yet again… more than likely afraid to be exposed…
And I’m tired of hearing about how he was 16 in the Olympics because supposedly he’s been “supposedly” 16 for like 4 damn years now.
There are a LOT of players in the US. College, high school, semi-pro who are FAR superior player than this little muskrat. He can’t do anything more special than let’s say a Kyrie Irvingon (who you’ve probably never heard of) or even a Corey Fisher (Villanova, who you’ve probably never heard of)… We have a ton of players who would come over there and make Rubio look bad, but yet people think he’s going to look good coming over here. He cant even shoot! omg, i cant believe the world is going like this… People just SAY somebodys great and therefore he is… smh… No wonder cats like lil wayne are eating. Propaganda is apparently more important than production… Eff outta here
August 26th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
POPPI GEE says:
OOVVEERRAATTEEDD! Clap, clap, clap clap clap!
Yea I typed the claps as Yoooo said (suck one) lol.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
BR says:
I never understood why Rubio was so hyped by the media…I mean, it’s not like he’s young and has a highlight tape or anything.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Rubio’s camp is denying that Ricky is signing with FC Barcelona…
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/08/26/rubio/index.html
August 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Falava says:
He certainly dominated european players of his age (read below), debuted in the spanish ACB with 15 years and led the league in steals in his second year among the pros.
A quote from the wikipedia:
In August 2006, Rubio led the junior Spanish national team to the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. During the tournament Rubio achieved three triple-doubles and one quadruple-double. In the 110-106 double overtime finale victory over Russia, Rubio scored 51 points, the first player to do so in FIBA tournaments since Luol Deng (in 2001), grabbed 24 rebounds, made 12 assists, and stole the ball seven times—a performance unprecedented in the tournament’s history. He also forced the first overtime with a three-point, buzzer-beating shot from mid-court. Rubio was subsequently named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after leading it in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Harris11 says:
I love ricky rubio too he just handed Johnny Flynn the keys to a brand new nba team
August 26th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Yoooo says:
Yea there were these guards once from NY… Took the world by storm. Omar Cook & Andre Barret, idk if you’ve heard of them. They dominated their peers too. And now… they don’t.
I dont care about what he did to 15 yr old Russian kids! Put him in NJ high school basketball, or Maryland/DC HS bball and he’s a mid-high D1 recruit…
August 26th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
bam blaam says:
lol 50 pts against the russia teen squad??? Theyr not pros. Darko had better stats then this kid back in 03. You should just say that rubio
1. is very unathletic, gets blocked a lot in euroleague
2. wouldnt compete against even a chair in nba predraft
3. Barely even jumps when he shoots the ball
May or not be a bust. But im thinkin bust.-
August 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
stefan says:
finally I see some people with their heads out of their toilets. get over this kid already, some posts were wright, there are thousands of americans in highschool who play a lot better then Rubio. maybe he got some more experience, but comparing the skills, Rubio is zero, nothing !
August 26th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
yoda says:
one thing i don’t understand. some say they’ve seen brandon jennings doing his thing for years there. but he did that against HIGH SCHOOL kids. ricky plays for years against grown ups, in best euro league, where lot of former ncaa starts play, or played. and ricky did hold his own against all those. what did bj did in his year in europe? every time i’ve seen him, he was awful. ok, takes time to adjust, but against same kind of competition, rr did better. im not saying hes better then bj, or that he will be better, but don’t start sucking jennings dick just because he was better then some high school kids.
as for minny being screwed up, i think that rules should be changed. everyone needs to sign up document where they promise that they will come to nba if they are drafted, when team who owns them tells them to come. if they refuse, they should pay money or get suspended by FIBA, from playing in any FIBA competition.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Sacto_J says:
Yoda is wise….
Rubio may or may not be the next Pistol Pete. Did Marovich play in the NBA when he was 18? or 20? Or did he do most of that stat stuff when he was a grown ass man? Rubio is 18, has like 5 years pro experience and has a better game than Jennings at this time right now. Get over your American narcissism. the kid can play and will eventually show you that he belongs. Pistol Pete!? don’t know, but he belongs in the NBA cuz he’s better than the Euroleagues….
August 26th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
nosmelone says:
I hope that RR does materialize in the NBA and that BJ does as well. I think this could make a great rivalry in the future. Given its no Magic vs Bird (or Isaiah) but it could be interesting regardless.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
len-e says:
i’m not even reading the bullshit you’re writing any more. you act like a girl that got rejected.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
T.J. says:
I love Ricky and BJ they both have good games. Both have the same amount of hype. I don’t see why all this hate goes towards Ricky. Its not like he asked for all the hype and all the talk about him.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
haslem says:
its not about him being good or bad, its about him coming to the L and society filing him away as either: another bust, a star or a forgettable and average player.
the not knowing is killing me though. I just want to know.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
tp says:
alright here’s the deal for all of you guys defending rubio..
the issue is not about whether he’ll be better or not come 2011.. the fact is he entered the draft THIS YEAR knowing full well he had a buyout to take care of, knowing full well what a rookie salary is. do NOT give me BS about him not being able to afford to pay it. stop blindly defending his b**** move.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
tp says:
“is it that hard to understand? what should he have done?”
im seriously waiting for the likes of rafa and the rest of the rubio fan club to see what they have to say. if finances were truly the issue here, he would have never entered the draft in the first place! B**** move written all over it!
August 26th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
UncheckedAggression says:
We’ll see how he does in Europe. I am definitely suspicious of the situation, but the buyout circumstances played a part in all this. He might be overhyped by some, but it is clear that he has talent. We will eventually find out whether he is worth the discussion, but at least now we can focus on what is gonna happen with the T-Wolves. I’m sure Flynn feels a lot of pressure now and I’m hoping that he can live up to it.
Seriously though, I must say that I have a negative view of Rubio. He hasn’t come forward to say hardly anything throughout this whole process. Get some fucking balls, man. Do you want to be in the NBA or do you want the world to THINK you are great, without facing the appropriate tests? I know those aren’t the only 2 options, but I can’t help but wonder.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
anen says:
OP Ben York why you posting the Old “Over hype rant” article just now Ugh OLD. You Know what, your type of article is Over hyped xD
Ricky Rubio already answered this
He never over hyped himself when asked about Pete Maravich he agreed that it was just the hair & said “Steve Nash is too high for me” he was real modest & real. Everything that is happening to him & media bull is not his fault whatsoever. LAY OFF would you
The Issue at hand was to get him here this year so He can prove himself for you Ben York types.
BUT If you want an International player to play for your team this year then PAY UP FIRST $$$$$$$$$
You know what you should Really be Ranting about is that buyout NBA rule of just $500.000. These Euro leagues make the NBA look DIRT POOR it’s embarrassing; how is this even possible? I applause Barcelona for ponying-up soo much money right up front for Ricky Rubio, basketball is not the biggest sport in Europe soccer is. Their willingness to offer so much money to buy a Basketball player wow first time ever. When the deal is done on paper this is going to be the most expensive in Europe sport History for a Basketball player!!!
“Having said that, thank you Ricky Rubio, for putting us out of our misery early on.” Nah you just have to wait two years now. It elongates your misery to see him prove himself in the NBA
PAY FIRST $$$$$ RULES THE WORLD!!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
jzsmoove says:
I dont mean to hate. Its the hype around this guy I hate. I’m glad I dont have to hear too much about this dude for a while until he comes over. Until he proves himself in the NBA otherwise, Rubio riders shut up.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:42 am
S-SiN says:
@tp
yeah, the way u present it i don’t get the move either. why would he enter the draft knowing that he’d have to essentially play 2 years in the L for free? possibly Ricky thought Joventut would lower a buy-out for him and bet on that. he might be getting in talks with Barcelona right now just so that DKV does precisely that. They would definitely lean to letting go of him for less not to see Rubio end up on their League rival’s roster. if his intention all the way was to be in the NBA after the draft he had to assume that Joventut would be more cooperative.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:47 am
S-SiN says:
@anen
amen.
August 27th, 2009 at 3:35 am
cdubb says:
Damn, quit hatin, Ben York. You ve seen nothin from that kid on the court so far and talk about his game. The Olympics couldnt be seen as a real factor, cause the kid didnt play too much before calderon got hurt. Matter of fact, u probably didnt see him in his Spanish league either. So dont judge somebody, before u have seen him really play…
Nobody crowns this guy as the next big thing. He could be a nice pg one day, no more no less.
So keep that bull*hit to yourself and dont bother nobody with your smart-ass “puts us in a misery” stuff.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:36 am
NICOLAS MORTERA says:
RICKY SIGN FOR BARÇA. 3,7 MILLION OF EUROS……BYE…
MADRID NOW
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Barca/bate/todos/records/Ricky/elpepudep/20090827elpepidep_6/Tes
August 27th, 2009 at 10:49 am
haha says:
This dude is the truth, now everybody’s giving him guest spots
His stock’s through the roof I heard…..
(Remember the name)
Story of his life hahahahahaha
August 27th, 2009 at 10:55 am
great says:
No way anyone can top that
August 27th, 2009 at 11:34 am
JJ says:
He has more skill than anyone in his worldwide age group. Including but not limited to: Defense, anticipation, intelligence, ball handling, PG (vision) creation, rhythm, coordination, ambition, scoring and personality He is practically ambidextrous, has good foot speed (not great) and excellent body control With excellent use of speed/ direction changes he excels both on the open court and the half court game as a set up or assist man Catch and shoot is quick and clean A smart rebounder, he gets optimum position under both boards Voted the best Euro young player for 2007, he has only acceptable shooting %s both from 2 and 3 points. His shooting delivery is consistent with no waste of time or extra movement. Ive thought about it a lot and think the best comparison to past-present NBA players would be the best of both Walt Clyde Frazier and Steve Nash At 17 years old he is already a feared and well respected ACB and Euro-level competitor. He is a warrior and plays all out, all the time. On top of that knows how to flop (with this kid its an art form) Hes also a master at getting to the FT line, where he knocs down a high rate (80%) Adventurous in his passing, he has two skills; Seeing and when necessary, creation of passing lanes. Excellent. Statistically he is a gem and he has personality. He leads. He knows how to win He will become a household name in many more households.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:59 am
doc says:
He bust some russain kids ass so excuse Americans to not believe the hype until we see it.Its been plenty of hyped up dudes come over and end up being trash.He didnt start in the Olympics until people got hurt so everybody talking that Olympic bullshit aint watch the games.He got a great court sense out there and you can tell that by his floor game.(making the right passes,finding open players,getting steals,etc.)But that alone wont do it on a NBA level.And him playing in Europe wont prove nothing to nobody from the states.AND,Brandon Jennings will bust his ass.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:43 am
crispin says:
the euro teams make their money on the transfer fee, so their incentive is to pump this guy up as much as possible and increase his worth (like a stock pump-and-dump scam). hence the media attention. their goal was to construct a guy to sell to the NBA for as much $ as they could and got started with him at an early age. (they do this in euro team soccer too, they pull them out of school and put them in nationally-funded soccer camps, it’s part of their industrial policy whereas over here our industrial policy is to make microchips). so more than likely you get a guy who’s basically focus-group tested plain vanilla guy. luis scola was the blah blah foreign player of the year and he is solid a few points a game but no real creativity or spark and whenever he tries to carry the team he fails. so it will be like that more than likely. once his buyout is paid (and fyi rubio himself makes nowhere near what his buyout fee is, they say 100K or so at the most) he will be out of their hands and some spanish team will be counting their pesos and grinning.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Kobeandbjenningsfan says:
i never liked rubio game he is overrated he can pass put he will not be the second coming of pistol pete or steve nash he is so overrated