MINNEAPOLIS — It's become something of a routine for Ricky Rubio.
Each time the Timberwolves face a team with a Spanish or even European star, the questions begin.
Ricky, do you know him?
Ricky, can tell us about your relationship?
Ricky, will you two hang out while he's in town?
Most of the time, Rubio does know his foreign opponent reasonably well. He nods politely, alludes to vague dinner plans and a chance to catch up. It isn't much, but every anecdote, every friend or mentor mined out of Rubio's past and transplanted to an NBA court makes the somewhat murky picture of Rubio's past, even his identity, a little bit clearer.
So of course, with the Lakers coming to Minneapolis on Sunday, the questions began again, this time about Pau Gasol. And maybe for the first time all season, the inquiries hit home with Rubio. Instead of hesitation, the words came easily for him, in part because the point guard might not be where he is today if it weren't for Gasol.
Gasol came to the NBA in 2001 as the draft's third overall pick and played for Memphis for the first six and a half seasons of his career. He was the second Spanish player to make the transition to the NBA; the first, Fernando Martin, played for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1986-87. So, for the current crop of Spanish NBA players, Gasol was the one who paved the way.
"He's like a mirror for us," Rubio said, his accent still marked with the shrill tones and exaggerated vowels that Gasol has long dropped. "He shows us the way to come here."
It's easy to see how Gasol would be a role model to Rubio. They're both from the Barcelona area, and the two played together for the Spanish Olympic team in Beijing in 2008, where they won a silver medal. Gasol, who has two championship rings with the Lakers and is a four-time All-Star, was the NBA rookie of the year in 2002. He's achieved things that Rubio has only dreamed about, but with one of those honors -- rookie of the year -- within the realm of possibility for the 21-year-old, he must feel more and more like he's following in Gasol's footsteps.
So to talk to Rubio about Gasol is to endure long sighs, wide-eyed declarations that he is a great guy, a great teammate. It's all true, and Rubio defended any possible criticism of his older friend.
"A lot of people say that Pau is soft," Rubio said. "I can tell you, he's not. I practiced with him a lot this summer, and he's tough. I mean, he plays hard, and one of the best things is he's a leader. A leader can't be soft because if not we couldn't win or get to the silver medal in the Olympic games."
Gasol, playing in Los Angeles, has experienced the same dogged attention that Rubio has in his first weeks in the NBA, though he had seven seasons in Memphis to prepare for it. There's no one better to tell Rubio of that downside to fame, of the constant scrutiny and speculation and the stereotypes that can be so hard to shake. In Spain, where much of the media attention is reserved for veteran players, Rubio didn't have the status that he has in Minnesota, Gasol said, and he'll get to see Sunday night for the first time just how much things have changed for his younger friend.
"I'm glad that he's getting that status here," Gasol said. "I think that's always really nice and very rewarding for any player, for anybody. And he's earned it."
After years of watching Rubio as a pro, Gasol can estimate just what the point guard might be capable of. He thinks Rubio can average about 18 points and 10 or 11 assists long-term, which would mark an improvement from his current 11.4 points and 8.8 assists. They're high expectations, but they're not unreasonable, especially when his numbers have improved so much from the 6.6 points and 3.8 assists per game he posted over his last two seasons in Europe.
Part of that improvement, Gasol said, is a result of the freedom Rubio has been given in coach Rick Adelman's offense, a freedom to which he's undoubtedly still adjusting.
"He played in more of a set system back in Barcelona, but here he's just free balling," Gasol said.
Gasol has always been impressed with Rubio's competitiveness and knowledge for the game, as well as his passing ability. What he didn't know before December was how all of that would transfer to the NBA, and Gasol said that the two additional years Rubio spent improving his game and maturing in Europe have paid off.
"He makes great decisions," Gasol said. "I think he's a guy who's not afraid to pass and make tough passes because he can make them, obviously. But he doesn't make a lot of mistakes for a rookie, especially."
It's been 10 years since Gasol was in Rubio's place, and they show. His accent is all but gone, and he's lost the novelty that a talented foreign player carries with him to the league. Rubio, though, is still in the stage where he can seemingly do no wrong, where everything about him is new and different and brings hope to a struggling franchise. That will all change with time, and though Gasol has modeled the way to the NBA for Rubio, that guidance is in no way over.
Follow Joan Niesen on Twitter @FSN_JoanNiesen.
