Ricky Rubio Injury: Torn ACL Forces Timberwolves Rookie To Miss 2012 Olympics

The upsetting news of Ricky Rubio's torn ACL doesn't just hurt the up-and-coming Timberwolves. It also means he will not be competing for Spain in the 2012 Olympics in London.

As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Rubio's recovery process will sideline him for the London Games. The Minnesota rookie plays a vital role for the Spanish squad, which is considered Team USA's top rival.

Trailing Rubio's Timberwolves by one with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, Kobe Bryant got the ball beyond the 3-point line right in front of the Timberwolves' bench. Rubio ran over to try and trap him with teammate Martell Webster, but his knee buckled as he collided with Bryant, who made a move to try and get around the double-team. A foul was called on Rubio, who immediately grabbed his knee and was carried to the bench by his teammates.

Not only has Rubio helped push the Timberwolves into playoff contention -- they are currently a half game behind Houston for the No. 8 seed in the West -- but he had already started some trash talk for the London Games.

Back in January when the T-Wolves played Kobe and the Lakers, Rubio told the five-time NBA champion that Team USA would not come out on top as they did in 2008.

"You know you're getting the silver medal. You know that," Rubio said.

For now, however, Rubio's Olympics teammate Pau Gasol doesn't believe it's appropriate to think about the Olympics right now.

"Right now is the time for him to just be as positive as possible and go through the surgery, pick the doctor that the team and he decide is the best for his knee and go from there, take it one day at a time," he told ESPN. "Just be really patient and think about his health and his future. Forget about the Olympics right now. That's secondary."

Gasol also expressed his support for his fellow Spaniard, and he wasn't the only NBA player to do so.

Comments

[MinnesotaRoots]

08:57 PM on 03/13/2012

I don't think the wolves would hav done much in playoffs so this will help develop other players. Rubio got a taste he just needs to build those muscles for the long nba season. He also needs to get a jumper. His set shot belongs on a 8th grade girls team.

[picval]

12:59 PM on 03/13/2012

We are Cursed here in Minneapolis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tqcobb]

01:27 PM on 03/12/2012

bad break for the T-Wolves but I wish he was around for 2012 Olympics see if that body could cash the check his mouth was writing

[priceofliberty]

08:00 AM on 03/12/2012

I noticed Kobe said nothing. He must realize how lucky he got. Those of us at Target Center that were close enough saw what happened(NBA TV didn't zoom in). Rubio was firmly planted. That made the call a bad one it should have been offensive. He intentionally used his shoulder to knock him over. This should have been flagrant 2 because of the severity of the injury meaning ejection or 2 game suspension after the fact.

But I should know by now that the refs don't enforce the rules on the Lakers.

Ricky wolves fans are pulling for you, and it looks like most of the NBA is too(minus Kobe).

[Deidentified]

12:40 AM on 03/13/2012

I've watched the replay several times. Prior to the collision, both players are in motion, and there's no doubt that they are both thinking about drawing fouls. They get to the spot of the collision at almost exactly the same time, with Rubio leaning backwards to help arrest his forward momentum. If Rubio had been set and had his balance, he probably wouldn't have fallen and the injury might not have occurred.

Sorry, but Rubio was not well-established, and I'm pretty sure this gets called a blocking foul 80% of the time. It is certainly not a flagrant foul. Dwyane Wade's foul on Kobe at the All Star Game -- the one that broke Kobe's nose and gave him a concussion -- looked pretty egregious but it still wasn't called a flagrant. FWIW, Wade, who people tend to feel much warmer about than Kobe, did not apologize to or check up on Kobe.

I wish this hadn't happened, and I am truly sorry that Rubio was injured. I don't see any evidence that Kobe was trying to hurt him, however, or that this was anything other than a normal NBA play.

[priceofliberty]

08:52 AM on 03/13/2012

lol. You mean the bad wide angle replay? The one that has the same vantage point as row X on the wrong side of the stadium? I was at the game. I was in the first ten rows on the side of the stadium where it happened. I wasn't the only one at the game that thought this was an offensive foul.

Rubio draws a lot of offensive fouls. The statistics wouldn't be 80% blocking 20% offensive on a non-star. More like 50% offensive, and the last time I saw something like this it got reviewed and was offensive. Its telling that they did not.

Last season I would have agreed with you. This season I dont because I've seen 4 players now 2 of which were reserve allstars have no clear intent and not injure the other player get ejected and or suspended. I've also seen 4 superstars do far worse than what kobe did get no foul. If they were consistent Kobe should have been ejected.

The Wade example I cant talk about because I didn't see the replay and I don't have the money to go to the all star game.

[JacksonHts]

11:58 PM on 03/11/2012

I am wondering if the lack of sufficiently long training camp and exhibition game schedule and the compressed season is resulting in more injuries than usual due to lack of time before the season to ease into shape and lack of time between games for muscles and tendons to rest and recover. Al Horford is out for the season, I just watched Steph Curry of the Warriors aggravate his ankle injury last week, Danilo Gallinari had a nasty injury, then Chauncey Billups, and now Rubio, and I am certain I am not remembering all the injuries this season.

[NextStopWonder]

09:57 AM on 03/12/2012

I thought the same thing. I think there's some validity to the idea that the condensed schedule has a good amount to do with the injuries we're seeing.

[JacksonHts]

01:30 PM on 03/12/2012

I remembered Zach Randolph is another one. And I had never in over forty years of following the ABA and NBA, read about or seen a pro player vomit during a game, as happened with a Dallas player during the first couple of games. Nowitzki's and Lamar Odom's recent inactivity were also related to starting the season out of shape. The NBA network documentary on Wilt Chamberlain posited that he played over 70 complete games in 1962 and one of the few he didnt play complete he was ejected with a few minutes left. So again, I am assuming having a full pre season is extremely important for basketball.

[tqcobb]

01:18 PM on 03/12/2012

I would venture to guess there is a correlation also

[BigBearcatBill]

04:44 PM on 03/11/2012

Really not going to hurt TWolve's long-term plans and opportunties other than losing fan interest a little maybe for the year. May help them in long run to build better team around Rubio and develop a good backup pt guard. Remember what happened to other teams losing star for a year, can usually have great one the next couple.

[DrObvious]

07:54 PM on 03/11/2012

It's been a long time for T-Wolve fans to have a team worth cheering - Mr. Love and Mr. Rubio brought huge excitement to the b-ball community here in Mn.   

I hope Mr. Rubio does what is best for his heath now,  then his family, then his profession and fans.  May he recover fully and speedily,  and be a force in the next Olympics, as well as leading the T-Wolves to better times

[KarateKid]

03:44 PM on 03/11/2012

Not as a shooter or scorer, but this guy really reminds me of Pistol Pete Maravich in the way he passes and handles the ball, and his creativity. Too bad.

[mypolski]

02:27 PM on 03/11/2012

Sorry to say that Ricky Rubio will never be the same player. ACL injury is the worst to come back from as a professional athlete.

[KarateKid]

03:43 PM on 03/11/2012

Many come back from that injury with advanced surgical techniques. I think a torn Achilles tendon is the worst. Not many come back from that injury.

[ttopaster]

01:49 PM on 03/11/2012

oh yeah, simmons.

[ttopaster]

01:49 PM on 03/11/2012

that stinks...he is very fun to watch. here is to a healthy and speedy recovery.