Ricky Rubio has played five seasons in the NBA. He has never dunked in a game.
This is common knowledge if you watch the Wolves, and it is confirmed by a search of Basketball Reference. He tried one dunk a few years back and missed it. He's never successfully completed one.
He's done it in warmups for the Wolves before. And he did it in this video five years ago after coming to Minnesota. But dunking in a game? That's just not something Rubio does.
Until he did it Thursday in the Olympics for Spain and stunned the basketball world. With Spain ahead 53-47 against Nigeria — in a game it needed to win after losing twice to start the Olympics, with Rubio playing poorly in both — Rubio broke free in the open court and threw one down. He ended up scoring 15 points in a 96-87 victory.
Rubio won't be challenging teammates Zach LaVine or Andrew Wiggins to any dunk contests, but it was a legitimate slam. Take a look for yourselves:
