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Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel ( , ; born June 26, 1992) is a French professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player for the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). He previously played for the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
who acquired him during the
2013 NBA draft The 2013 NBA draft was held on June 27, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including internation ...
. Gobert also represents the French national team in its international competitions. Standing at tall with a wingspan of long, he plays the center position. He is regarded as one of the best defensive players of all time. Gobert has won the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year award The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
four times, tied for the most in NBA history with
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a Congolese-American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo ...
and Ben Wallace. He is a four-time
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
member, seven-time
All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
member, and three-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
. Gobert was also the NBA blocks leader in the 2016–17 season and the NBA rebounding leader in the 2021–22 season. Gobert was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2017, and the All-NBA Third Team in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In March 2020, Gobert tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, becoming the first NBA player with a confirmed case of the virus. After teammates of Gobert's on the Utah Jazz, including Donovan Mitchell, also tested positive, the NBA postponed the 2019–20 season until its resumption on July 30 of the same year.


Early life

Gobert was born in
Saint-Quentin, Aisne Saint-Quentin (; ; ) is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, northern France. It has been identified as the ''Augusta Veromanduorum'' of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, Saint Quentin of Amiens, wh ...
, in the north of France. His father, , is from the French overseas department of
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
and played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
in the United States for the
Marist Red Foxes The Red Foxes are the athletic teams of Marist University. The Marist Red Foxes compete in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) the only exception being football, a member of the Pioneer Football L ...
from 1985 to 1988. He also notably played 19 matches with the French national team. Bourgarel played professional basketball in Paris and Saint-Quentin, where he met Gobert's mother. Gobert's parents split when he was around three years old; he stayed with his mother in Saint-Quentin and made regular trips to Guadeloupe for his father. Gobert started playing basketball in 2003 for the JSC St-Quentin club, before later joining the Saint-Quentin BB club. In 2007, he joined Cholet Basket's cadet categories training center and in 2010, he participated in the
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The FIBA U18 EuroBasket is the new name for the FIBA U18 European Championship, originally known as the FIBA European Championship for Juniors. It is a men's youth basketball competition that was inaugurated with the 1964 edition. It was held bi ...
with the French under-18 national team, where he finished as the team's best scorer and rebounder.


Professional career


Cholet (2011–2013)

From 2009 to 2011, Gobert mostly played for the Cholet Basket junior team, managing just one game for the senior team in 2010–11, recording 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in 13 minutes on May 10, 2011, against Pau-Lacq-Orthez. In 2011–12, he averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 29 games for Cholet. During the next season in 2012–13, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 27 games.


Utah Jazz (2013–2022)


2013–14 season: Rookie season

Gobert declared for the
2013 NBA draft The 2013 NBA draft was held on June 27, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including internation ...
and set NBA Draft Combine records for wingspan (7 feet inches) and standing reach (9 feet 7 inches) in the 2013 combine. These dimensions earned him the nickname "The Stifle Tower". The record for wingspan was broken a year later by Walter Tavares. On June 27, 2013, Gobert was selected with the 27th overall pick by the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. He was later traded on draft night to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. On July 6, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Jazz and joined them for the 2013 NBA Summer League. In just his 12th game for the Jazz on November 24, Gobert scored a season-high 10 points against the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. On December 14, he was assigned to the Bakersfield Jam of the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...
. Gobert was a starter in all eight of his games in the Development League, scoring a double-double in six of those games. He was later recalled by the Jazz on December 21, reassigned on January 4, and recalled again on January 13. He played sparingly for the Jazz in 2013–14, making an appearance in 45 of the team's 82 regular season games.


2014–15 season: Improving as a sophomore

In July 2014, Gobert re-joined the Jazz for the 2014 NBA Summer League. On October 24, 2014, the Jazz exercised their third-year team option on Gobert's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2015–16 season. On January 9, 2015, he recorded a career-high seven blocked shots in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On March 3, he recorded 15 points and a career-high 24 rebounds in a 93–82 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. His 24 rebounds were three short of the Jazz franchise record of 27 set twice by
Truck Robinson Leonard Eugene "Truck" Robinson (born October 4, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets (1974–77), Atlanta Hawks (1977), New Orl ...
, both in the 1977–78 season. In April 2015, he twice scored a career-high 20 points, and finished the 2014–15 season with 25 double-doubles. He went on to finish third in the
NBA Most Improved Player Award The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportsw ...
voting.


2015–16 season: Full-time starter

On October 17, 2015, the Jazz exercised their fourth-year team option on Gobert's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2016–17 season. On December 2, 2015, he was ruled out indefinitely after sustaining a sprained left MCL. He returned to action on January 7, 2016, against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
after missing 18 games with the injury. He was limited to just 15 minutes but chipped in six points and three rebounds. On January 16, he had a season-best game with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 109–82 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On February 27, he recorded 12 points, a season-high 19 rebounds and six blocks in a 98–96 loss to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
.


2016–17 season: First All-NBA appearance and blocks leader

On October 31, 2016, Gobert signed a four-year, $102 million contract extension with the Jazz, which at the time made him the best paid French athlete ever (in terms of salary per year). On December 6, 2016, he scored a career-high 22 points in a 112–105 win over the Phoenix Suns. Four days later, he had 17 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high six blocks in a 104–84 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. On January 10, 2017, in a win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
, Gobert posted his franchise-best 25th consecutive game with 10-plus rebounds (14). On January 20, 2017, he recorded career highs of 27 points and 25 rebounds in a 112–107 overtime win over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. The following day, he had his 31st double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 109–100 win over the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. His 11 rebounds marked his 30th straight game with at least 10 rebounds—only four other NBA players have had a 30-game streak of 10-rebound games since 1997–98. His streak ended at 30 after falling one rebound shy of his 31st consecutive 10-plus rebound game on January 23 against the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. With two blocks against New Orleans on February 8, Gobert reached 499 career blocked shots, passing Rich Kelley (498) for ninth on the franchise's all-time block list. On March 5, he had 16 points and 24 rebounds and tipped in a missed shot as time expired in overtime to lift the Jazz to a 110–109 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. On March 20, he had 16 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks in a 107–100 loss to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. Two days later, he scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 108–101 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. Eleven of his 13 rebounds were offensive. In Game 1 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
on April 15, Gobert suffered a hyperextension and bone bruise to his left knee; the injury occurred on the first possession of the game. Utah took Game 1 without him, but he went on to miss Games 2 and 3, as the Jazz went down 2–1 in the series. Gobert returned to the line-up for Game 4 and contributed to a 105–98 win with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Jazz went on to eliminate the Clippers with a 104–91 victory in Game 7, closing out the first-round series 4–3 to earn the franchise's first postseason victory since 2010. However, they were swept by the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in the second round to bow out of the playoffs. At the season's end, Gobert was named in the
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
for the first time in his career. He also earned
NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
honors.


2017–18 season: First DPOY award

Gobert began the 2017–18 season with eight double-doubles while averaging a league-best 2.5 blocks per game. On November 12, 2017, he was ruled out for four-to-six weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee. He returned earlier than expected, re-joining the squad on December 4 after missing 11 games. However, after suffering a sprained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee and a bone bruise on December 15, he was ruled out for at least another two weeks. He returned to action on January 19, recording 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in a 117–115 loss to the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. On March 2, 2018, he scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 116–108 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. In May 2018, he was named in the
NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
, becoming the third Jazz player ever to earn multiple All-Defensive First Team recognitions, alongside
Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spen ...
(1997, 1998 and 1999) and
Mark Eaton Mark Edward Eaton (January 24, 1957 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1982–1993) with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he w ...
(1985, 1986 and 1989). In June, he was named the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
, becoming the first Jazz player to win the award since two-time honoree Mark Eaton last won the award in 1989, the 5th international to win the award, the second French man to win the award, the first French-born to win the award, and the 12th center to win the award.


2018–19 season: Second DPOY award

On December 25, 2018, Gobert recorded a season-high seven blocks in a 117–96 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. On December 29, he had a team-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 16 rebounds for his 31st double-double of the season in a 129–97 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. He had 24 points and 12 rebounds at half time, marking the first time that a Jazz player totaled at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in any half since Carlos Boozer did it in February 2010. On January 12, 2019, he had a career-high eight assists in a 110–102 win over the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. On January 14, he tied a career high with 25 rebounds in a 100–94 win over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On January 16, he had 23 points and 22 rebounds in a 129–109 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. On March 18, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week, marking his first career player of the week honor. On March 25, he scored a season-high 27 points and set the single-season NBA dunk record in a 125–92 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. With his 270th dunk of the season, he bested Dwight Howard's 269 dunks in 2007–08. He finished the regular season with a record 306 dunks and went on to lead the NBA in dunks for four consecutive seasons (2018-2019 through 2021-2022). At the NBA's end-of-season awards night, Gobert was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. Gobert won the Alain Gilles Trophy as the French player of the year for 2019. With this he became the 10th multi time winner of the award, and the 9th ever to win back-to-back.


2019–20 season: First All-Star appearance

Through his first 45 games in the 2019–20 season, Gobert averaged 15.7 points and 14.6 rebounds per game and had become an anchor for the Jazz on offense as well as defense. On January 30, 2020, Gobert, alongside teammate Donovan Mitchell, was named a Western Conference reserve for the
2020 NBA All-Star Game The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was an Exhibition game, exhibition basketball game that was played on February 16, 2020, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 NBA season, 2019–20 season. It was the 69th edition of the NBA All- ...
. On March 11, 2020, a game between the Utah Jazz and the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
was postponed right before tip-off after Gobert was placed on the injury list due to illness. He was taken to a local hospital and tested positive for
SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the respiratory illness responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had the Novel coronavirus, provisional nam ...
, the virus responsible for the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The NBA then suspended the season indefinitely. Just two days earlier, after a game against the Pistons in Detroit, Gobert had facetiously touched every microphone and recorder at a press conference concerning the Utah Jazz's response to the virus. Gobert apologized, saying his actions were careless and exposed others to the disease and that he hopes his story serves as a warning to others to take the virus seriously. On March 27, he was cleared of the coronavirus. In April, it was reported that his relationship with Mitchell had soured following his careless behavior when infected with COVID-19 and Gobert admitted the two did not speak for some time after. Gobert has donated $500,000 to help people affected by COVID-19 including part-time employees and COVID-related services.


2020–21 season: Third DPOY award and best record in the NBA

On December 20, 2020, Gobert signed a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Jazz. Gobert's extension was the third largest contract in NBA history, and the largest ever for a center. On February 23, 2021, Gobert, alongside teammate Donovan Mitchell, was once again named a Western Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, marking the pair's second consecutive All-Star selection. On March 22, Gobert logged 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks in 120–95 victory over the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. On June 9, 2021, Gobert was named the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...
for the third time in four years, making him the fourth player in NBA history to win the award three or more times. Gobert's win marked the first time in NBA history where four consecutive defensive player of the year awards had been won by international players. On June 11, Gobert recorded a playoff career-high 20 rebounds in a Game 2 second-round victory over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
.


2021–22 season: First rebounding title

On February 3, 2022, Gobert was named a reserve for the
2022 NBA All-Star Game The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 20, 2022, during the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 NBA season, 2021–22 season. It was the 71st edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Cleve ...
. He finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind winner
Marcus Smart Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball, Oklahoma Stat ...
and Mikal Bridges. Gobert led the league in rebounds per game with 14.7 rebound per game and was third in blocks per game with 2.1 blocks per game, Gobert as well lead the league in FG% with 71.3% FG and shot a career high from the free throw line. On May 20, Gobert was named to his sixth straight
NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
.


Minnesota Timberwolves (2022–present)


2022–23 season: First season in Minneapolis

On July 6, 2022, Gobert was traded to the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
for Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, and the draft rights to center Walker Kessler in addition to four first-round picks and a 2026 first-round pick swap. On October 20, Gobert made his Timberwolves debut, putting up 23 points and 16 rebounds in a 115–108 win over the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. On October 28, Gobert recorded 22 points and 21 rebounds in an 111–102 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
; that was his 8th career 20/20 game and first in Minnesota. On January 6, 2023, Gobert logged 25 points and 21 rebounds on 11-of-15 shooting from the field in a 128–115 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. On March 3, Gobert had 22 points and 14 rebounds in a 110–102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, Gobert was involved in a physical altercation with teammate Kyle Anderson during a game against the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
. Gobert swung at Anderson after a verbal exchange on the sideline, after which Gobert was escorted away. The incident took place during the second quarter, and Gobert was subsequently sent home early from the game. The next day, it was announced that Gobert would be suspended for one game as a result of the incident.


2023–24 season: Fourth DPOY and first Conference Finals

On November 14, 2023, Gobert was involved in an altercation in a game against the Golden State Warriors in which during a team brawl, Gobert entered the brawl to separate Warriors guard Klay Thompson and teammate Jaden McDaniels. Warriors forward
Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the Power forward (basketball), power forward pos ...
put Gobert into a chokehold and pulled him away from the fight while Gobert was trying to separate the two players. This resulted in Green, along with Thompson and McDaniels, being ejected from the game for their participation in the brawl. Gobert later called out Green's actions as "clown behavior". On December 2, Gobert scored a personal season-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting along with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks in 123–117 win over the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. Gobert was named Defensive Player of the Year, after anchoring Minnesota's #1 ranked defense. This was the fourth time he won the award, which ties
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024) was a Congolese-American professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo ...
and Ben Wallace for the most in NBA history. On May 7, 2024, Gobert missed a significant playoff game against the Denver Nuggets due to the birth of his child. Despite his absence, the Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, each scoring 27 points, managed to secure a 2–0 series lead over the defending champions, holding the Nuggets to a 34.9% shooting from the field. The Timberwolves reached the conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks, but lost in 5 games. Luka Dončić scored the game winning shot over Gobert in Game 2 after an Edwards turn-over.


2024–25 season: Contract extension

On October 23, 2024, Gobert signed a three-year, $110 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. On April 30, 2025, in Game 5 of the first round against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, Gobert recorded a double-double of 27 points and 24 rebounds, both playoff career highs, in a 103–96 victory, helping the Timberwolves win playoff rounds in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. He joined
Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power f ...
as the only players in Timberwolves history to record a 20–20 game in the NBA playoffs. The
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
reached the conference finals for the second consecutive time, facing the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
, but lost the series in five games.


Personal life

On February 21, 2024, he announced on an
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
post that he was expecting a child with Julia Bonilla. They announced the birth of their son, Roméo, the next day of his birth, on May 7, 2024. The birth caused him to miss Game 2 of the Conference Semifinals against the defending NBA champion
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
, a game that the Timberwolves still won. They would go on to win the series in Game 7. Gobert has reportedly broken up with Bonilla since.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 45 , , 0 , , 9.6 , , .486 , , , , .492 , , 3.4 , , .2 , , .2 , , .9 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 37 , , 26.3 , , .604 , , .000 , , .623 , , 9.5 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 2.3 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 61 , , 60 , , 31.7 , , .559 , , , , .569 , , 11.0 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , 2.2 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 33.9 , , .661, , .000 , , .653 , , 12.8 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.6* , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 56 , , 56 , , 32.4 , , .615 , , , , .681 , , 10.7 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 2.3 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 81 , , 80 , , 31.8 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .669* , , , , .636 , , 12.9 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , 2.3 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 68 , , 68 , , 34.3 , , .693 , , , , .630 , , 13.5 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 2.0 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 71 , , 71 , , 30.8 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .675* , , .000 , , .623 , , 13.5 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 2.7 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 66 , , 66 , , 32.1 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .713* , , .000 , , .690 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 14.7* , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 2.1 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 70 , , 70 , , 30.7 , , .659 , , .000 , , .644 , , 11.6 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 76 , , 76 , , 34.1 , , .661 , , .000 , , .638 , , 12.9 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 2.1 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 72 , , 72 , , 33.2 , , .669 , , , , .674 , , 10.9 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , 12.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 829 , , 737 , , 30.7 , , .656 , , .000 , , .641 , , 11.7 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 2.1 , , 12.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 3 , , 0 , , 14.9 , , bgcolor="EOCEF2", .900 , , — , , .333 , , 8.0 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .3 , , 12.3


Playoffs

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2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 9 , , 9 , , 27.3 , , .635 , , , , .480 , , 9.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 34.8 , , .655 , , , , .603 , , 10.7 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 2.3 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 30.4 , , .594 , , , , .783 , , 10.2 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , 2.6 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 7 , , 7 , , 38.6 , , .649 , , , , .524 , , 11.4 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 1.4 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 34.2 , , .741 , , .000 , , .636 , , 12.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 2.1 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 32.8 , , .646 , , , , .682 , , 13.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , 1.0 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
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Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 35.4 , , .630 , , , , .630 , , 12.2 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
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Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 15 , , 15 , , 34.2 , , .615 , , , , .671 , , 9.8 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , 1.0 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 15 , , 15 , , 27.4 , , .582 , , , , .520 , , 8.6 , , .7 , , .5 , , 1.2 , , 7.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 84 , , 84 , , 32.4 , , .641 , , .000 , , .608 , , 10.6 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 1.5 , , 12.3


National team career


Junior national team

Gobert won the bronze medal at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship and the silver medal at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. In the 2012 edition, Gobert was named to the All-Tournament team alongside countryman, Léo Westermann.


Senior national team

Gobert was called by head coach Vincent Collet to help the senior French national team prepare for the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
tournament. He played two
friendly game An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
s, scoring 8 points. He was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 4.1 points per game. In 2015, he helped France to bronze at the EuroBasket 2015, averaging 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks during the tournament, while receiving All-European Championships Second Team distinction's from the website Eurobasket.com. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Gobert played in five games for France, tallying 5.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. He also won the bronze medal with France at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 10.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. In the
2020 Olympic Games The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
in Tokyo, Gobert guided France to a silver medal, starting each game and averaging 12.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. In 2022, he led France to silver at the EuroBasket 2022, averaging 12.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks during the tournament, while being selected to the All-Tournament Team. In the
2024 Olympic Games The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...
in Paris, Gobert won a silver medal with France, averaging 3.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.


See also

* List of NBA career rebounding leaders * List of NBA career blocks leaders * List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders * List of NBA annual rebounding leaders * List of NBA annual blocks leaders * List of NBA single-season rebounding leaders * NBA post-season records


References


External links


Rudy Gobert
at archive.fiba.com
Rudy Gobert
at eurocupbasketball.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gobert, Rudy 1992 births Living people 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Bakersfield Jam players Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Black French sportspeople Centers (basketball) Cholet Basket players Denver Nuggets draft picks French men's basketball players French expatriate basketball people in the United States French people of Guadeloupean descent Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Minnesota Timberwolves players NBA All-Stars NBA players from France Olympic basketball players for France Olympic medalists in basketball Olympic silver medalists for France Sportspeople from Saint-Quentin, Aisne Utah Jazz players 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics 21st-century French sportsmen