MUNICH (Germany) - Ricky Rubio is set to make his return to basketball after a long period on the sidelines and it's symbolic that his comeback will be with Spain, with national team head coach Sergio Scariolo sharing a heart-warming story of how the 33-year-old point guard announced his availability.

“Ricky was telling me: 'Sentimentally, I would like my first official game to be with the national team because I feel a special bond with you, with the team, with my teammates.'  I was very excited when he called to tell me," Scariolo said.

"The truth is, it was a very emotional moment for me... It's not like I was checking my phone every day, but I was kind of waiting for that call... So when it finally came, I was at the hospital with my mother and I told her, 'Mom, stay here, this is important.' It was truly a great joy, and the first thing I said was, 'Now, be careful to manage your expectations correctly'."

Defending EuroBasket champions Spain are in Group C of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers with Belgium, Latvia and Slovakia. They will play two games in February, hosting Latvia in Zaragoza on February 22 before taking on Belgium on the road on February 25.

FIBA