via elmundo

When I dictate the article -I'm almost talking like the reporters- I'm watching Slovenia-Australian live. No, I have not gone mad. There, on the court is Mills, a teammate of mine in Portland. I saw him at the hotel and promised to come back. But I can't say that my mood had much effect. They're not doing so well, why kid ourselves.

After the game I'll go back to the hotel. I would see France vs Turkey, for the ambiance, but Sergio Scariolo has put up a meeting for us this afternoon. The truth is that it was about time we did something productive today.

Today was a day of rest. Rest days there's great chance that the previous night is free. That means that we can go have some air [outside]. Dinner was quick and then we drank something. Events, places and time belong to privacy, these will kill me... I went to bed early, and nothing of alarm clocks, you have to let the body quench. Turning and turning, I've put up in bed until 12:30 or so. Then I connected to the internet and I've been talking to my family, then food and now I am in the pavilion with Victor Claver and the delegate of the team, Alberto.

These days it is important to unplug a bit, but between Mills and this blog, I have to talk basketball. I begin with Greece, a very hard clash. It seemed like the previous ones and marks a new phase in the team. Do you remember my desire prior to the match? I said we have to step up ahead of the 12, any and all. That's what we did. We finally saw Spain, concentrated, serious. Our experience and value at all times the significance of the match has taken us to the quarters.

 Now it's Serbia, a young team. That's why, that experience that has already helped us with Greece can be a weapon into semi-finals. But above all, that experience should remind us that Serbia won us before in Poland. We always say that Gasol is missing, so, it's not worth going in circles about it. But it should be noted that even with him, although rusty and in the first phase, Serbia beat us. This is an example worth remembering. An emphasize on the rivals is its coordination, because they have known each other for so long. They are a team that looks like us.

By the way, and Mills? He lost by 29. He had a bad day in the triples, but was Australia's top scorer. Now I'll see him in the hotel. All I can say for him: "Take vacations and enjoy, friend."

translated from rickyrubio9  

Hello to Everyone!

We are in Turkey! And what an atmosphere you live here. Everyone is focused on the World Championship. We left this morning at 7:30 from Barcelona, those who are from there, we reunited at 10:00 with all the others in the airport of Bajaras and we caught a plane to Turkey. This afternoon we trained a bit. What desire I have for day 28 to come, for everything to start, THE OBJECTIVE starts, the dream of being champions of the WORLD!!

The last weekend we were in Madrid and we played against Lithuania and USA.

On Friday against Lithuania we won by about 20, although we did not start very well but in the end we let loose and we were able to win.

On Sunday came the final test before playing the first game of the Worlds, and what a test, against the favorite to win the World Cup, but we will try to avoid that. It was against USA and we lost by 1. In the match we started a bit nervous but as the minutes passed we put on the batteries and almost won. We had the last ball to win it, but Kevin Durant blocked my three and then Rudy's. The truth is, when I threw it I never would have thought it would end up being block but he has very long arms, it's incredible. I think Kevin Durant is a player who will go down in history, is one of the players who impressed me the most.

During the last quarter came the worst of the preparation. Calderon got injured and will not be in the Worlds. Calderon was unable to be in the European Championship last year in order to be healthy this year and when the time came, he breaks... We were all left screwed, but we will win this championship for him, because he deserves it and because he is a great example for me. As a player you all know him, but as a person is even more good if you met him. In his place Raul Lopez has been called, who was in last year. Raul I have to confess for me is an incredible talent, when he was young and I saw him play my eyes lit up, he has a lot but a lot of talent, surely will help us greatly.

After Madrid, they gave us two days off to be with the family and recuperate energy to face another 2 weeks outside home, if all goes well. I have to admit that most of the time I spent my time at the beach to recover a bit of color. It was a short brake but I took advantage of it very much.

I hope you'll all enjoy this World's, I will keep telling you little things during these days.

A hug
Ricky

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 from MARCA.com

Hello again. From Portland I’m following the ACB and the Euroleague all I can, in the morning I saw for a while Real Madrid-Regal Barcelona, enough to see that Navarro was going to go all out.

The other day in MARCA.com I read about his bad percentage in the triples in the last games. When I saw him, I thought, "This guy is going to go all out on Madrid. For sure," and I was not mistaken. That’s Juan Carlos Navarro.

I’ve always admired him. I first saw him in a junior tournament in Alcudia, Mallorca, when I was very young, and I loved how he played in the final, I think I remember it was against La Penya. He then exploded in the ACB and since then I admire him. In addition, I was lucky to learn at his side in the selection being very young, and playing against him also taught me things.

It’s evident that Juan Carlos could be in the NBA. For me, at any contender to the ring. Just sometimes it’s hard to get the role you deserve, and he had the opportunity to return to Barcelona and took it. For him, his family is most important. In Europe, basketball is very good and Navarro demonstrates that.

These days I’m alone in Portland and the truth is that I have really wanted to return to Spain on holiday. Lately I have had small injuries that hasn’t let me advance, and in the team I keep fulfilling my role the coach assigns me, which mainly is to create space in attack.

We are very good and I think will finish above the eighth spot. San Antonio and Oklahoma have difficult schedules and we can overcome them. And if we do not, there’s elimination with the Lakers, it would be great for what they mean.

Next week is my birthday. I think I'm going to celebrate with the people in Spain through Skype with a virtual cake. That’s the NBA.

Wednesday Feb. 24, 2010 from MARCA.com

Since the last time I updated the blog my life has completely changed more than I ever could have imagined. I've gone from the situation that everyone knows in Sacramento to being a starter in the Knicks, and from living in a small town to New York.

It's so many the things that I can't summarize all here. But I'll tell you a few things that can make you guys understand the change. The Knicks are another world. You see it in everything. For example, we have no more than four physiotherapists. My back hurts and they take care of me very much. Moreover, they are English and have worked at Chelsea or Manchester City, so a lot of times we have soccer players here. The other day Claudio Reina came, who I spoke to for quite awhile, and in the coming days Jonathan Woodgate, who played for Real Madrid, will come. From what I've been told, Paolo Maldini also passed through here too.

In the place where we train there's everything. The facilities are incredible, where we have breakfast and eat every day. It's spectacular. Furthermore, the people received me very well, to Mike D'Antoni, who I have a lot of communication with, to my teammates.

I've had three games on the court, two as a starter. I'm very happy, but I want people to know that what I done was without even doing a workout with the team. On Thursday I will train with them for the first time. So coming up with a match like Boston, is something to be euphoric about. Against Milwaukee, though we played bad, I stole eight balls, which is something I had never done before, not even as a kid.

In the coming posts I will continue telling things about this change, which is as big as you can imagine. Surely there be for many new posts.

Friday Feb. 5, 2010 from: MARCA.com

Hello again. As you all have heard, I have been involved in another rare incident since the last time I updated the blog: A couple of drunken fans "assaulted" me in the middle of the game against Dallas. Also, what happened to Marcus Thornton’s elbow against New Orleans. So I sometimes ask myself, Why does this all happen to me? It's like a movie ...

I’ll tell you about the women: I was listening to the coach during a timeout in the final minutes against Dallas. Since at that time I wasn’t playing, I was a bit out of the circle, and at one point I felt someone grab me by the waist. I turned and saw two women around 45 or 50 years old, that told me things like "we like you", "good game", "nice to meet you" and ended with a "we love you". Am I hallucinating.

The truth is you take this and laugh, but you can't help thinking in the respect that gives you that someone can come reach you easily in the middle of a game, that has so many facilities. At the end of the game the one responsible for security of the Blazers apologized to me, but obviously it was not his fault.

Anyway, they were joking in the locker room for a long time: Everyone would tell me "Rudy, how handsome you are," "Rudy, I love you" ... well you can imagine.

The two women were of a certain age and were clearly drunk. Keep in mind that the NBA sells alcohol to spectators, it's not like Spain ... The only thing that I can get out of this is Why, since all these things happen to me, they couldn’t be two young girls and pretty? :-)

The other story of these days: the elbow of Thornton. Then he told me that I fell and so on... Well, he can think whatever he wants. The images are clear. Here the Europeans have this label that we do what they called "flopping", fake fouls. They even call it "European flopping". We have to deal with that. It is best not give it much importance.

As for everything else, my life here is more or less the same. I spend much time with LaMarcus Aldridge and lately some are coming quite closer to us Steve Blake, Dante Cunningham and Patty Miles. With this last one, who is an Australian rookie, I've become very good friends. You know that I really like Singstar, and the other day he was at home with some friends. From here I made a request to Pau: to get me a Singstar of Mecano, the ones I already have I already know all the songs ...

Nothing more, I’ll say goodbye I recommend that. If you not already follow, you go see the series 'Entourage'. I’m hooked. A hug to everyone.