Spanish basketball star Ricky Rubio delivered his most candid public remarks to date during a televised interview with journalist Jordi Évole on La Sexta’s “Lo de Évole” on 6 July. The 34-year-old point guard, who has not played professionally for a year, described the intense pressures he faced after debuting at age 14 and said he is still unsure whether he will return to elite competition. “Me gustaría jugar al baloncesto sin todo lo demás… Yo quiero jugar al baloncesto, pero no puedo,” he said, adding that the interview would likely be his last with the media. Rubio detailed a series of mental-health struggles that culminated in August 2023, when he walked out of Spain’s national-team training camp ahead of the FIBA World Cup. On one night in the team hotel, he recalled thinking he no longer wished to continue living, a moment that prompted him to seek help and step away from the sport. The episode followed a torn knee ligament suffered with the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2021 and an abbreviated stint with FC Barcelona the following season. Despite a résumé that includes 12 NBA seasons and the MVP award at Spain’s 2019 World Cup triumph, Rubio said he rarely found joy in the professional game and often felt like an impostor even in victory. He now plays occasional amateur-league games with friends in El Masnou, the town where he first picked up a ball, and is “squeezing every option” before deciding whether to attempt a full comeback. For now, he stressed, his priority is safeguarding his mental health and ensuring that, in his words, he will have “no regrets in five years” about whatever path he chooses.