If you’ve attended Timberwolves games at Target Center since Ricky Rubio’s departure in 2017, you’re likely to have seen a few No. 9 jerseys in the building.
A fan-favorite, Rubio has been beloved by the Twin Cities since his arrival in Minnesota in 2011, when his playmaking abilities immediately electrified Target Center night after night during a hype-filled rookie campaign that ended prematurely due to injury.
Finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind then-Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving, the Spaniard returned to the court and continued to turn heads with his dazzling dime-dropping. In total, Rubio spent six total seasons with the Timberwolves, averaging 10 points and eight-plus assists per contest during his first tenure in Minneapolis.