ESP – Rubio needs a holiday before Olympic adventure

MADRID (Olympics) – Ricky Rubio admits he needs to “re-charge the batteries” before joining up with Spain after being called into the national team at the tender age of 17.

Coming off a sensational first campaign as a starter at DKV Joventut, the team that won the ULEB Cup and Copa del Rey this season, Rubio continued his rise to prominence when new Spain coach Aito Garcia Reneses named him in the Olympic squad.

“I started the league well this season but I wasn’t able to maintain the same form until the end, which is normal,” Rubio said.

“Now I will go on holiday and this will be good for me to re-charge the batteries.

“I hope to arrive to the Olympics in good form. Aito granted me my debut in the ACB. He knows how to guide me."

Aito stepped down after five years at DKV at the end of the season and was quickly snapped up as a replacement for Pepu Hernandez, who was sacked despite leading the team to gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and silver at last year’s EuroBasket.

The hype around Rubio has been incredible, yet game after game he has proved he belongs in arguably the toughest domestic competition in Europe, the ACB.

"I never imagined I would make my debut with the national team at the age of 17,” Rubio said.

“I am not frightened of being in the senior team or of the competition (Olympics), but I do have a lot of respect for it.”

Jose Manuel Calderon was Spain’s best player last year at the EuroBasket and is almost certain to start while Real Madrid playmaker Raul Lopez has also been called back into the team.

“We will see what my role in the national team will be,” Rubio said.

“We will have to see how the games go and I hope that I can respond to what the coach asks of me.”

FIBA