ESP - Rubio on recovery: ‘You just have to be strong’

MINNESOTA (Olympics/NBA) – Spain’s Ricky Rubio is trying to maintain a positive outlook but admits he has worried about the prospect that he may not return to the game as the same player he was before tearing his ACL.

Holding his first press conference on Tuesday in Minnesota since getting hurt one month ago, the slick-passing and dribbling Timberwolves point guard said: "Of course, you always think in my mind what can happen, especially the first couple days after surgery when you can't move your knee.

"You just think about it, think about if you can come back.

"You just have to be strong and do your best to come back even harder.

“I love basketball. I love playing basketball. I'm going to do my best."

The injury not only knocked the 21-year-old out for the remainder of the season but also ruled him out of the London Games for Spain.

He had played well for four years ago in Beijing, making heads turn with a terrific display in the gold-medal game against the United States.

"It's going to be sad losing an Olympic Games,” he said, “but the good point is I have played in one already so I know what I'm going to lose.

"It's hard. It's going to be hard.

"Like I said, there's nothing I can do to be there right now."

Rubio was averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game when he got hurt in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on 9 March.

As for his return date, Rubio said: "The most important thing is to make sure when I come back it's 100%.

"I don’t know if it's training camp, I don’t know if it's the first week, second week (of regular season).

"I don’t want to put a date. It depends how my knee feels."

Rubio was speaking to the media after spending the previous two weeks in Colorado following an operation to repair two torn ligaments.

FIBA