Should Ricky Rubio Stay in the NBA?

We talked about him before the draft, and now we talkin’ bout him after the draft. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ricky Rubio Watch 2009. As everyone knows, the Timberwolves took R.R. 5th overall with the hopes of making the 18-year old Spaniard a centerpiece for the club’s Extreme Makeover: Franchise Edition. Only problem, apparently Ricky wants nada to do with Minnesota and prefers a return to Europe rather than playing in the cold north…central. A small market franchise located just south of Canada; what’s not to like, right? (Kidding, I love Minnesota). Of course, all of the post-draft drama has everyone and their mother asking, “What should Ricky do?,” or more precisely, to paraphrase The Clash, “should he stay or should he go now?”

Man, what a tough question. With all the hype and buzz surrounding Rubio can he really just say “no gracias” and head back to Europe? Shouldn’t he stand behind his decision to enter the NBA Draft and play for the team that selected him with the 5th overall pick? Ummm…no, absolutely not; Ricky needs to do one thing and one thing only – make the decision that he thinks works best for his basketball career. If that means going back to Spain, then book the next flight bound for Madrid.  People need to remember that, no matter how much emotion fans attach to teams and players, professional sports is ultimately a business. Decisions need to be made with the black and white logic of contract negotiations and bottom-lines, not with the heart.  A franchise owes nothing to a veteran who, after years of success and production, grows old and fails to perform at the highest level, just like Ricky Rubio owes nothing to the Minnesota Timberwolves (other than the draft day cap, maybe).  

Yeah, writing the above sentences sucks. We want the sports world to be dictated by loyalty and dedication, but reality demands otherwise. Which brings us back to Rubio. Sure, the idea of him joining the nucleus of a young, potentially exciting NBA team sounds cool, but, because of business reasons, he wants to play in a major market city. Sorry, Minneapolis, Minnesota doesn’t fit that description. Would you take a job just to make other people happy? No (or at least hopefully no), and neither should Rubio.

Obviously, manning up and playing for the team that drafts you shows character, but the Big C means very little in the NBA (the Association’s so cutthroat it makes the drug cartels from The Wire look like Chuck E. Cheese franchises). Rubio only gets one basketball career, and everyone knows the team that selects a player can determine whether said player becomes a star or a bust. Because of his age and situation (18 and already a European pro), Ricky finds himself with the unique opportunity to (at least partially) dictate his future, and in the world of business, that seems like a pretty good position. Take advantage, kid.