Today, Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves turns 23 years old, and while he’s only been in the NBA for two seasons, he has been playing professionally since he was just 14. The Spanish sensation has always been known for both his skill and flash when it comes to dishing out assists to his teammates. With players like Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin around, there won’t be a shortage of Rubio highlights this year.
To commemorate his birthday and quick rise to fan favorite, I compiled a list of his best assists from his 98 games played as a member of the T-Wolves. Two important notes to add: all passes on the list come from games that counted — yes we could’ve just ran his highlights from the last two BBVA Rising Stars appearances during All-Star Weekend, but where’s the fun in that? — and all the passes on this list lead to buckets. There are some better Rubio passes that his teammates just weren’t able to finish.
[RELATED: 5 Reasons To Watch Minnesota This Year]
The adjectives attached to Rubio’s play are seemingly endless, with words like amazing, sweet, nice, crazy, and ridiculous. However, there aren’t many words left to describe Rubio’s passes that haven’t been used yet. And with that said, sit back, relax and enjoy some of greatest assists the NBA has seen in the last few years.
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10. One Hand Lob Pass vs. Chicago
9. Midcourt Bounce Pass vs. Charlotte
8. Alley-oop vs. Miami
7. No-Look Behind-The-Back Pass vs. New Orleans
6. Midcourt Alley-oop vs. Houston
5. Spinning Bounce Pass vs. Boston
4. Between-The-Legs Pass vs. Sacramento
3. Wraparound Pass vs. L.A. Lakers
2. Between Defender’s Legs Pass vs. Brooklyn
1. Fake Behind-The-Back Pass vs. New Jersey
What is Rubio’s ceiling?
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