“I want to be a champion and the best defender of my generation, and that’s not about to change.”
Rudy Gobert has been on a tear since entering the NBA. Arriving on tiptoe in 2013 in Salt Lake City, he began his transformation by imposing hard work on himself in order to become a three-time winner of the trophy for best defender of the year and an essential leader of the Jazz, from 2017 until 'in the summer of 2022 and his departure for Minneapolis.
But its size, scale and deterrent force are not everything. Rudy Gobert had to work on all aspects of the defense to get there. The French interior also confided that he enjoyed following the evolution of the game to adapt and thus become a more complete defender over time.
“Every year the game evolves so much. When I came into the league, how many centers were shooting 3-pointers? There was Dirk Nowitzki, Andrea Bargnani, who else? Then, over the next few years, a lot of guys started shooting from distance. I remember Nikola Jokic was starting to take it, it was maybe in my fifth year in the NBA. Then there were guys like Brook Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis. But it was still rare. Now, I defend every night against guys who can shoot, come off screens, or teams who will play “small ball”, and make me defend more on the outskirts,” he explains in a long interview published on NBA.com. “It’s been fun for me to be uncomfortable. Now I'm at a point where I'm comfortable facing any team profile. Even to switch. People say here and there that I'm not good on switches, but if you look at the numbers and the videos, I conceded the fewest points in these situations a few years ago.
The desire to surpass oneself
Upon arrival, his experiences allowed him to gain confidence and broaden his palette. And as was the case with Utah, Rudy Gobert made Minnesota one of the best defenses in the league. Especially since, just like the Jazzmen of the time, the Wolves are part of the leading group in the Western Conference.
“I have always been able to adapt to situations. It's part of me, to never give up, to always find a solution. It was hard at times, I could have been uncomfortable because I didn't know how to go about defending on a pivot who could shoot from afar. “Should I help or not?” “. Now, with communication, trust in my teammates, being able to switch, being able to talk, being able to contest well, understanding who is defending… All these things come into play. That's why it's difficult to defend well.
For the French international, the key to success lies partly in this pleasure taken in wanting to take on these challenges, with the ultimate goal of becoming NBA champion one day.
“I always say I’m not just a defender. I consider myself the most impactful defender in the world, but I also have impact in attack. I'm not a 30 point per game guy, but for me it's all about winning. I do a lot of things on offense that don't always show up on the stats sheet. All the screens, when I collapse the defense on a pick-and-roll and it provides an open 3-point shot for one of my teammates. I don't have all that on the stats, but it makes me happy”he concludes. I always liked it. When I contest a shot and the opposing player misses, it gets on my nerves. You have to find joy in everything you do. It allows me to be happier. I just love winning, and I love what it takes to get there. Going through adversity and overcoming it every night.”
| Rudy Gobert | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2013-14 | UTH | 45 | 10 | 48.6 | 0.0 | 49.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 |
| 2014-15 | UTH | 82 | 26 | 60.4 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.2 | 6.2 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 8.4 |
| 2015-16 | UTH | 61 | 32 | 55.9 | 0.0 | 56.9 | 3.4 | 7.5 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| 2016-17 | UTH | 81 | 34 | 66.1 | 0.0 | 65.3 | 3.9 | 8.9 | 12.8 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 14.0 |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 56 | 32 | 62.2 | 0.0 | 68.2 | 3.0 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 13.5 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 81 | 32 | 66.9 | 0.0 | 63.6 | 3.8 | 9.0 | 12.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 15.9 |
| 2019-20 | UTH | 68 | 34 | 69.3 | 0.0 | 63.0 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 15.1 |
| 2020-21 | UTH | 71 | 31 | 67.5 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 14.3 |
| 2021-22 | UTH | 66 | 32 | 71.3 | 0.0 | 69.0 | 3.7 | 11.0 | 14.7 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 15.6 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 70 | 31 | 65.9 | 0.0 | 64.4 | 3.3 | 8.3 | 11.6 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 13.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 35 | 33 | 62.0 | 0.0 | 61.8 | 3.5 | 8.5 | 12.0 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 12.5 |
| Total | 716 | 30 | 65.2 | 0.0 | 63.8 | 3.3 | 8.4 | 11.7 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 12.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
