Ricky Rubio: “I Want to Enjoy Every Season as If It Were My Last”
Back in Badalona, Ricky Rubio is approaching the new season with a different mindset — less focused on what comes next, and more determined to enjoy the game while he still can.
Ricky Rubio is entering another season with Joventut Badalona, but his perspective on basketball has clearly changed.
In an interview published Wednesday, Rubio said he wants to enjoy every season “as if it were the last,” after finishing the previous campaign physically and mentally exhausted. Rather than taking his future for granted, the 35-year-old guard is choosing to focus on the present and on what he can still contribute to the club where his professional career began.
Rubio explained that he needed time after last season to recover and reflect before deciding to continue. His relationship with basketball has evolved significantly in recent years, particularly after stepping away from the sport to focus on his mental health.
Now, he appears more interested in sustainability than in chasing a predefined finish line.
That does not mean his competitive ambition has disappeared.
Rubio still expects Joventut to fight for meaningful goals, with qualification for the Copa del Rey and the ACB playoffs among the minimum targets he mentioned. He also highlighted the arrival of Nico Laprovittola and Boogie Ellis, while Ante Tomic remains another key veteran presence for the Badalona club.
The reunion with Laprovittola is particularly intriguing.
The Argentine guard has returned to Joventut seven years after his previous spell and has openly spoken about his desire to share the court with Rubio. Laprovittola said Rubio was one of the reasons he wanted to return, while Rubio has described watching his new teammate train as “magic.”
Their partnership gives Joventut experience and creativity in the backcourt, even if the team is still searching for rhythm.
Head coach Dani Miret admitted earlier this week that the squad is behind schedule physically and competitively after injuries and international absences disrupted preseason preparation. Rubio made a similar point, acknowledging that the team is not yet where it wants to be but insisting that it cannot use that as an excuse not to compete.
For Rubio, however, the season may ultimately be about more than wins and losses.
His return to Joventut has brought him back to the environment where he first became one of Europe’s most exciting young guards. Two decades later, the circumstances are different, but the connection remains.
Rubio is no longer looking ahead as a teenager with an unlimited future.
He is trying to appreciate every season while it is still happening.