FanNation - The Republic of Sport

(Author's note: This article was originally published at www.aarontorres-sports.com/)

Although I love sports as much as anyone, I'm almost never impressed by anything I see anymore.

Over the course of the last decade, I'd venture to say I've seen as many games, matches, races, and rounds as anyone.  In just the past 10 days, I witnessed the final round of the Masters, at least a dozen Major League baseball games, and the same number of regular season and postseason NBA contests.  Not to mention a few college football replays on ESPN Classic, a little bit of tennis, and even some NHL playoffs to boot.  And that doesn't count the numerous Sportscenter's, dumb First Take and Pardon the Interruption debates, and Baseball Tonight episodes. 

Because of it all, I've become a bit jaded.

I've seen Albert Pujols hit playoff home runs that haven't landed yet (hello Brad Lidge), Roger Federer rip impossible backhands down the line, and Michael Jordan hit championship winning jump shots.

When it comes to sports I'm like some wine snob at a posh 5 star restaurant.  I take a sip, swish around a bit, and move to the next bottle.  I have a sophisticated sports pallet and rarely am I in awe. 

Which brings me to Ricky Rubio, the 18-year-old Spanish point guard that makes every teenage girl in Spain, as well as everyone in international basketball, swoon.

With the NBA Draft coming up, it was time for me to take a look for myself at the wiz-kid, arguably the biggest thing from Spain to hit the American sports scene since Rafael Nadal and his haircut washed up on our shores several years ago.     

So on Saturday morning I ventured over YouTube to start my research, pen and paper in hand, not sure exactly what to expect. 

You see, I've never been one to be wowed by big-time international players.  Period.  I don't care about the 6'9 French kid with a 7'8 wingspan and 42-inch vertical leap.

Because ultimately when it comes to young foreign stars, too many fail the biggest question that's a pre-requisite to future NBA success: Can the kid play basketball?  And I'm sorry, but averaging 6.4 points a game in the Belgian Premiere League isn't a good answer.

So with people telling me all basketball season that Rubio may ultimately pass Blake Griffin-one of the most dominant college big men in recent memory-as the No. 1 pick in June's draft, I've got to be honest, I was a tad bit skeptical.

But I started the grainy YouTube videos Saturday morning regardless.  My posture was slouched and relaxed, like Al Bundy catching another episode of Psycho Dad, my face expressionless.

Time to roll the video.

Within the first two clips, there was Rubio, floppy hair in his eyes, throwing impossible passes.  My body immediately straightened up, intrigued, like a dog catching a new scent on a fire hydrant.

By clips five and six I was saying things like "What?" and "No he didn't," my ramblings some bizarre combination of an And-1 mix tape and a guest on the Maury Povich Show.

And by the 90 second mark I was on my feet, clapping, like some overzealous soccer mom watching her kid score his first goal, practically fighting back tears of pride.

I was excited, I was overwhelmed.  Most of all I was impressed...more than impressed.  Heck, I haven't been this excited for anything basketball related since the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment trial began.

At 18, Rubio has a basketball IQ that is absolutely off the charts.  Like watching Chris Paul, Rubio has an innate understanding of where his teammates should be, and will be on any given play.  When running offensive sets, he seems to have a clear feel for proper spacing, and always seems to make the right pass on the fast break.

While his speed from end-to-end isn't that of Paul or Derrick Rose, Rubio seems to have the deceptive quickness that made Steve Nash a two-time MVP.  He always appears able to get where he needs to be on the court, whether it's turning a corner, or simply putting his shoulder down and bulling through a defender.  Even in the most chaotic of situations, he always seems to be under control.

And in the open court Rubio's antics were exactly as they've been described to me: Maravich-esque.

The scary part?  At 6'3 and just 180 lbs., Rubio is still growing into his body and into his game, and with his long arms is just starting to figure out his defensive capabilities. 

He also appears to have something that many Europeans have lacked since they began coming to America in droves about a decade ago: an overwhelming sense of confidence in what he's doing, and in himself.

While I've been critical of foreigners in the past, it is by no means easy being a rookie in this league.  Between the language barrier they suffer from, as well as living in a completely different environment, it is a lot to ingest and digest (I mean seriously, imagine growing up in a free-spirited beach city like Barcelona, and then having to start your career in say, Minnesota. If that's not culture shock, I don't know what is.  I'm from New England, and Minneapolis would even be a tough one for me). 

(Read all of Aaron's thoughts on the upcoming NBA Draft at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

Now imagine having to compete daily against the world's best players.  And all that with the expectations of an entire country on your shoulders.  Not quite hung-over mornings at Baskin Robbins like most 18-year-olds.

But all those variables which make other foreign-born players flop, is what should make Rubio thrive.

For starters, he's been playing in the best league in Europe-the Spanish ABC-since he was 15. 

The experience he's gained over that time is immeasurable.  He runs fast-breaks like a seasoned pro.  He goes for loose balls with reckless abandon, clawing and throwing elbows with men twice his age.  And he's got the (to use an appropriate Spanish word) cajones to call out teammates who aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. 

The self-assurance he's gained by playing against grown men for a half a decade was on full-display to the world in the 2008 Olympics.  Before the games even started, he was unafraid to call out the Americans, saying (and I'm loosely quoting) that basketball is played 5 on 5, not 1 on 1 like they like to play.  And when it was time to put his money where his mouth was, Rubio backed up his talk.

Starting for an injured Jose Calderon against the United States in the Gold Medal Game, Rubio played basically mistake free basketball for 28 minutes.  He and his Spanish teammates were a Kobe Bryant jumper or two away from pulling the upset.

Maybe most importantly, Rubio shelved the behind-the-back and between the legs game that has made him such a sensation, choosing to run the offense and defer to teammates Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez.  He knew the importance of the game, and his role in it.

(Agree with Aaron on Ricky Rubio?  Let him know at www.aarontorres-sports.com or by e-mailing at ATorres00@gmail.com)

And I cannot emphasize this enough: He was 17-years-old at the time!!! 17!!!

So while it might be overwhelming for most, stepping on an NBA court is just the next progression in the evolution of Rubio's career.

And once he does arrive in America, I don't expect him to miss a beat.

With the confidence of playing against the world's best, he also comes with the comfort of being as big as the Beatles back in Spain. 

But despite the growing celebrity, Rubio appears to have remained seemingly self-aware, attending his hometown high school, all the while playing the role of basketball hero by night. 

And in an era where LeBron James was on television as much as Ryan Seacrest by the time he graduated high school, Rubio appears to be grounded, as his parents did not let him conduct interviews with the media until his 18^th birthday.

Rubio already speaks good, if not great English, so communicating with beat writers, as well as teammates, (which is crucial for a point guard) shouldn't be a huge issue. 

So with all that comes the fun part. 

Because of a big buyout, Rubio might not be able to get out of his current contract and into this year's NBA Draft.  He has declared, but will wait until the last possible minute to decide whether to stay in or not, based on how his negotiations go. 

After all the hype and all the excitement, the Ricky Rubio world tour might not hit American cities until the fall of 2010. 

But whenever it comes, I know one person who will be eagerly waiting.  Whether he ends up in Minneapolis, Los Angeles or Sacramento, I will be there.

Because not much in sports these days gets me more excited than those grainy YouTube clips I saw Saturday afternoon.  But the Ricky Rubio experience in person will be one of them.

(Let Aaron know what you think at www.aarontorres-sports.com)