It seemed innocent enough. Nothing that would cause heart-break on two continents, nothing that would leave a franchise wondering if it weren't cursed.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the NBA's surprises this season. The forward Kevin Love was having an MVP calibre season, Montenegro's Nikola Pekovic was developing into a legitimate NBA centre, the rookie Derrick Williams was showing great promise.
And then, of course, there was Ricky Rubio. After remaining in Spain for two seasons after being drafted, Rubio had arrived to captivate Minneapolis. He charmed the fans with his play and his boyish demeanour. He helped make the downtrodden Timberwolves relevant again.
On Friday night, they led the Los Angeles Lakers by one with 16.4 seconds left. As Rubio came over to double-team Kobe Bryant, Bryant started to dart past him. The Spaniard's left knee buckled and he collapsed to the floor.
It hardly appeared to have the makings of a serious injury. But when Rubio did not rise, it became clear it was no minor one. He was carried off the floor. Then came the results of the MRI scan - a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Rubio's rookie season was over. So were his dreams of winning Olympic gold for Spain this summer in London.
Rubio was called for a foul on his season-ending play, and Bryant made both free throws to allow the Lakers to escape with a victory.
Up to that point, the Timberwolves were 21-19. They were in the play-off picture for the first time since 2004. They had recaptured Minnesota's imagination, and much of the credit went to Rubio, who was fifth in the NBA with 8.2 assists per game and averaging 10.2 points.
"It's a big loss for us," Love said. "He makes winning plays, he's a winner. We love having him around. We hope for a speedy recovery so he can help this team next year."
Maybe the Timberwolves will recover. In Rick Adelman they have a top coach and Love remains their centrepiece. But Rubio gave the franchise life.
"Rubio was the energiser of the fans," wrote Minneapolis columnist Patrick Reusse. "The reason the kids bugged Mom and Dad to go to Target Center was to see 'Ricky'.
"This is a body blow to a franchise that finally had regained its footing after seven years of stumbling and blundering."
These woes are not new to the Timberwolves. For five consecutive years they lost a lottery pick to serious injury in his second season.
Now Rubio will be lost for six to nine months. And a team who were just feeling the wind in their sails will have to recover again.
sports@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
