A child prodigy in basketball

I would like to dedicate this week’s article to mention a particular name that many people may eventually get to know very well in about two or three year’s time.

The name is Ricard Rubio, a young teenager from Sapin (has just turned 16) who could possibly become one of the best ever basketball players to come out of Europe. He is rated as the best European guard prospect since Drazen Petrovic, if not better.


In fact, there is already talk that Rubio could easily be the top pick at the American NBA draft when he becomes eligible. Experts are ratign Rubio as a super prospect and a child prodigy in basketball.

I have watched him perform at the European Under 16 Championships and noticed that he may not be the fastest player or the highest leaper but Rubio has an amazing feeling of the game and an energetic way of carrying out things on the court.

He did an amazing feat at the same above-mentioned FIBA Championships where he was voted the Most Valuable Player after finishing the final gold meadal game (against Russia) with 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals! This is not a joke but these, seriously, were Rubio’s actual statistics for, I repeat, the final game where the gold medal was decided (110-106 for Spain after a double overtime) and playing against a formidable Russian national team.

This was also his third triple-double in the same tournament, including another one in the previous game, ie. the semifinal, against Croatia.

In Spain, his native land, Rubio plays for top side DKV Joventut Badalona and wears the number 32 jersey. Garcia Reneses, Joventut’s coach, believes too much praise for Rubio could affect the 16-year-old´s development, but by the same token the DKV chief is more than aware of the potential superstar he has on his hands.

Having made his debut for DKV as a 14-year-old (an ACB record at 14 years, 11 months and 24 days), Rubio also represented this successful Catalan club in last year´s FIBA EuroCup, which Joventut eventually won.


Reneses stated, "He has very good conditioning. It is not necessary to rush him and his progression," said the coach, who is keen to keep the player grounded. “The important thing is that those who are around him are conscious that all the praise can be counter-productive and that he has to continue learning. "He made his debut at 14, and helped us win that game. He has impressed, but the important thing is his future."

One has to mention the fact that just in season 2003/2004, Rubio was still forming part of the mini-basket team and in two years has made the giant leap to professional men’s basketball.

DKV veteran Elmer Bennett added: "The first thing that I thought last year was that a boy of 14 playing against men is going to have problems. But no, Ricky (as he is known) is a very mature worker and his arms are very long and he defends well, which is rare in the young players of today."

Rubio was born on the 21st of October 1990 and presently lives at El masnou, just 10 kilometres north of Badalona. He weighs 80 kilogrammes and stands at 1.92m and reportedly has to grow more. He has also a very large hand span and is becoming well known for his great reach with outstretched arms.

Due to his scoring dominance and creativity, Rubio has been compared to Pete Maravich (a well known NBA player).

Here follows a snippet from a technical review on Rubio: “With his wiry body, big eyes, dribbling skills and creativity, Rubio not only looks the part of Pete ‘Pistol’ Maravich, but has the chance to surpass the ‘Pistol’... see, Rubio is n'o just an amazing scorer and passer, his long arms and anticipation plays the passing lanes for steals and despite his lack of girth, the 6’4 point guard has a knack for corralling more than his position's share of rebounds.”

To conclude I will reproduce a small part of a professional scout assessment report on Rubio highlighting his strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: Has a natural feel for the game that very few posses, especially at such a young age … Incredibly dominant scorer ... Shows tremendous creativity in a multitude of ways, especially passing and scoring ... Virtually unstoppable in one-on-one situations ... Ambidextrous, can dribble and drive with either hand ... Maintains great balance in the air, which is less typical for European guards ... He can penetrate, receive the foul and still finish ... A strong rebounder ... Grabs rebounds under his own basket and goes coast to coast ... Has a good feel for the game, nice court vision ... Very good at finding a teammate on the fast break ... A "scorer-passer": draws two or three defenders and dishes it out to the open man, but can also find people under the basket ... Takes good care of the ball, doesn't turn the ball over as much as you would expect from a player his age, especially considering his creativity ... Extremely mature for his age. He lives for pressure situations ... Has quick hands, always going for the steal ... Impressive man-to-man defender ... Has solid leaping ability ... Great physical characteristics, long arms and big hands ... He might grow another inch or two ... Great size for a point guard at 6’4.

Weaknesses: Streaky shooter, lacks a consistent shot from the three point line ... Free throw shooting is solid at 71.8, but should improve ... at times, tries to go 1 on 4, which works most of the times on Cadet level but certainly not on ACB or NBA level ... Not a real "floor general" yet, somewhat static in organizing plays in half court. His strength is in the fast break … Unless he grows another few inches, he’ll need to focus on better developing his point guard skills … Sometimes gambles too much for steals on defense ... Needs to get stronger and could use another 4-8 kg of muscle ...

One must remember that this is a 16 year old boy. At that age, most boys barely make breakfast for themselves whilst Rubio is facing men at high basketball levels. His shot may need work but with his age, it will most likely improve. So, basketball enthusiasts, keep your eyes open for this talent called Ricard Rubio.