Rubio: PH brand of basketball ‘pretty close’ to NBA game

Ricky Rubio has played every level of basketball beginning from his days as a school kid, to his young days as a professional, to the international stage, and then to the NBA.

In terms of qualifications, the Minnesota Timberwolves point guard has experienced different types of basketball in both Europe and in the United States which makes him a prime judge of basketball styles.

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For the Spanish playmaker, the Philippine style of play closely resembles the brand of basketball played in the NBA.

“The Philippine game is pretty close to the NBA game,” Rubio said Friday at Bonifacio Global City during his Take on Manila tour. “They are really good.”

Rubio has played in the Spanish national team before the Timberwolves drafted him in 2009.

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And during the 2014 Fiba World Cup of Basketball, Rubio caught a glimpse of the Gilas Pilipinas when the Filipinos played in Spain.

“I watched them a lot in Spain during the World Cup, and they played the brand of basketball close to the NBA.” CFC