Ricky Rubio was the fifth pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves, in the 2009 NBA Draft. However, Rubio did not initially sign with the Timberwolves, instead spending the last two seasons playing for the Spanish basketball club FC Barcelona Basquet. There was speculation that Rubio may never play for the Timberwolves, but in early June, it was reported that Rubio had reached an agreement to join Minnesota for the 2011-2012 NBA season.

Monday afternoon, Rubio landed at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, to a jubilant reception from fans, as seen on this video.  

Tuesday, Rubio was introduced for the first time as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spaniard shared the stage with Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn. The Target Center press conference was open to both the media and the general public. As a result, there was a lot of excitement in the crowd, as hundreds of fans were in attendance, even on a Tuesday morning. Rubio was very charismatic and showed a good sense of humor throughout. The point guard appeared very eager to play in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves marketing department is already in high gear, as they have developed ticket packages based around the team’s latest acquisition.

Take a look at the above ifollosports.com original photos from the press conference.

Also, check out the ifollosports.com original video of Rubio’s opening statement from Tuesday’s press conference. Video available on iFollowSports TV as well .