Cavaliers point guard hits 'pause' on career

In a statement, Rubio announced that he was going to "stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health," and thanked the Spanish team for their support for his decision. He didn't go into detail about the length of his break or the specifics of his issues.

Rubio has played 12 years in the NBA after Minnesota made him the No. 5 pick in the 2009 draft, but he's played professionally in Spain since 2005. He debuted for Club Joventut Barcelona at age 14, the youngest player in the history of the Spanish ACB League. That means Rubio has been playing intense, high-level basketball for over half of his 32 years.

After playing nearly constantly since age 14 - Rubio has been a staple on Spain's stellar international team nearly every summer - it's no wonder he needs a break. Especially after tearing his ACL twice. Rubio did it the first time while guarding Kobe Bryant as a rookie, then tore the ACL in the same knee nearly ten years later as a Cavalier.

It's a grueling rehabilitation process, and Rubio has done it twice. He averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 33 games for Cleveland last season while recovering. Rubio backed up Darius Garland and delivered a sparkling 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

While he's never been an All-Star, Rubio's blend of strong defense, passing, low turnovers, and acclaimed leadership make him an ideal veteran point guard. He's also been a mentor to his teammates everywhere he goes, whether it was Garland on the Cavaliers, Anthony Edwards on the Timberwolves, Devin Booker on the Suns, Donovan Mitchell in Utah or countless others in his long career.

Rubio's always been a valuable commodity, one reason he's been traded five times. Which must be stressful in its own right, relocating and readjusting to new cities, coaches and teammates.

The Cavaliers are supporting Rubio, who is signed for two more years, which speaks to how beloved the Spanish guard is. It's also an example of the NBA's changing attitudes toward mental health. Thanks to a league mental-health initiative called "Mind Health," all 30 teams have a psychiatrist to prescribe medication, plus a team psychologist or therapist - some have more than one.

The idea is to help players in a profession that's only grown more stressful after the rise in social media and a global pandemic. It also helps to lessen the stigma of mental health issues, something even superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo are discussing publicly now.

There's no timetable for Rubio's return, but there's no lack of people pulling for him all over the world. Especially in Cleveland.