Ricky Rubio had barely sat down for his Timberwolves media day news conference when a local sportswriting legend bellowed:
“Do you still want to get traded?”
Rubio rubbed his face, smiled. “You haven’t changed, huh?”
Welcome back to Minnesota. The question pertained to a June interview Rubio did with a radio station in his native Spain. He expressed frustration that he’d gone through five seasons without playing in one playoff game. How difficult, mentally, it can be when goals aren’t met.
“Next season will be crucial for me,” he said at the time.”I’ve been in the NBA for five years.