Rubio awed by Filipinos’ devotion to basketball

Ricky Rubio. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

It’s not the first time that a global basketball standout was blown away by the Filipinos’ love for the sport.

And as if it’s his own way of giving back, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio completed his packed itinerary on Day 1 of his first visit to the Philippines, despite the stormy weather.

The Spanish guard dropped by the Rizal Monument for a quick photo-op, played games with celebrities and toured Intramuros in the afternoon, retracing the influence of his country in the Philippines.

Aware of the country’s devotion to basketball, especially after Gilas Pilipinas’ creditable showing in the Fiba World Cup in Spain, Rubio gladly obliged requests for photographs and autographs.

“I’m really excited to be here,” said the 6-foot-4 Rubio at the press conference kicking off his adidas Take On Manila Tour.

“I’ve been hearing about Filipino fans since the Beijing Olympics. I watched a lot of the Philippines in Spain playing in the World Cup. Fans from Philippines even won an award for that. I just want to come here and meet them in person.”

“I wanted to check everything because I heard there’s a lot of basketball courts here,” said Rubio, who will also attend the Trial Run for adidas’ newest basketball shoe at Hoops Center in Mandaluyong Saturday.

The 25-year-old Rubio has been playing professionally since he was 14. At 17, he became the youngest to play in an Olympic gold-medal match when Spain battled United States in the finals in Beijing.

“The game is played more for the small players and on a constant faster pace,” he said. “You can see the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA title. All they do is run and shoot the ball at a fast pace.”