When it comes down to the brass tacks, Rudy Gobert is one of the greatest defenders in NBA history. The now four-time Defensive Player of the Year deserves to have a comfortable place in the Basketball Hall of Fame. But for all of his unique defensive prowess, Gobert hasn’t exactly been appreciated in the past — be it with the Utah Jazz or NBA fans at large.
It seems that has finally changed with the juggernaut Minnesota Timberwolves, and it’s so great to see.
On Wednesday, Gobert was joined by his Minnesota teammates as he officially accepted his latest DPOY. He took the opportunity to praise them for being a family and express his appreciation for being fully embraced by an organization that lets him be himself.
It was a beautiful way to see a career finally come full circle:
Rudy Gobert: "I’ve found a team, a coaching staff, an organization and a city that has embraced me, and a group that has embraced me. I feel like it’s like a family. We are there for each other. We really care about one another."
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 8, 2024
Gobert’s past is curious.
Despite carrying the Utah Jazz to several top team defensive rankings, NBA culture seemingly treated him like a meme. It used to blame Gobert for being unable to hold up a defense primarily by himself the moment Utah ran into a truly elite offensive team in the playoffs. It was unfair and silly then, but such is life in our hyperreactive sports culture that inadvertently turns us into prisoners of the moment.
Gobert’s actual relationship with the Jazz was strange, too. He had a well-documented falling out with former Utah superstar Donovan Mitchell, and it didn’t appear that the Jazz fully appreciated their ex-franchise center the way they should.
That has all changed with the Timberwolves.
Minnesota asks Gobert to be their formidable defensive anchor and trusts him to make the right play on offense if needed. The Timberwolves don’t treat him like a liability. They empower him and view him as a tremendous asset he can be in the right role. It is precisely that kind of mindset that has turned the Timberwolves into one of this year’s NBA Finals favorites.
Gobert’s unofficial redemption arc is a good lesson for all of us sports fans. This sentiment isn’t universal, but sometimes, a player’s negative reputation should be taken with a grain of salt if we don’t have the full context. We don’t know what’s going on in the background. We don’t know or understand the people around him. It’s easy to take the low-hanging fruit instead.
A simple change of scenery can make all the difference in the world.
