Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio hurt his knee Tuesday in an Olympic tune-up against Angola, according to reports. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but he left the game, which Spain won, 85-61.
UPDATE: Rubio took a hit to his thigh and was held out as precaution.
Rubio, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, is one of the NBA stars expected to lead Spain into another gold-medal showdown against the U.S. The Americans have won the past two men’s basketball Olympic titles, defeating Spain each time.
The Spaniards were without Rubio in 2012 after he tore his ACL in an NBA game five months before the London Games. In 2008, Rubio became the youngest basketball player to compete in an Olympic final, as he suited up as a 17-year-old.
Rubio led Spain in assists and steals at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, where Spain struggled to a fifth-place finish after losing to France in the quarterfinals. The U.S. won that tournament and will have a drastically different roster in Rio, but is still expected to claim another gold medal.
