Double-double machines are always a treat to watch. Those players can dominate both sides of the glass, lock down the paint, alter shots, and be a great factor down low. That’s the case with Utah Jazz‘s Rudy Gobert, who’s helped them become one of the powerhouses of the Western Conference and whose game continues to evolve as the years go by. In this article, we’re going to let you know everything there is to know about the French Rejection, one of the few defensive-oriented stars in the game and the last big man you want to face when you’re driving to the rim.
Rudy Gobert – Early Life
Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel was born on June 26, 1992, in Saint-Quentin, Aisne, near the northernmost part of France. He’s the son of Rugy Bourgarel, a Guadeloupe-born player who took his game to the USA, playing college hoops for the Marist Red Foxes in the mid-to-late 80s.
His father also played in Paris and Saint-Quentin, where he fell in love with his mother. Even so, Gobert’s parents got divorced early in his life, with him constantly traveling to Guadeloupe to visit his old man. Just like his father, his love for the game of basketball came at an early age, joining the JSC St-Quentin club at 10 years old. Then, he joined Cholet Basket’s junior categories and took over as one of the most prominent prospects in France.
Rudy Gobert – Cholet Basketball
Gobert developed his well-round defensive game and instinct for blocks during his three-year stint at Cholet Basket’s cadet divisions. He worked his way up to the senior squad, where he ended up averaging 8.4 ppg (points per game) and 5.4 rebounds per game across 27 appearances.
Rudy Gobert – Entering The National Basketball Association
Gobert’s great game with Cholet basketball and France’s junior teams, as well as his impressive physical traits, made several scouts fall in love with him. As a result, the ‘French Rejection’ decided to pursue his NBA dream and declare for the 2013 NBA Draft. He set NBA Draft Combine records for standing reach (9’7”) and wingspan (7′ 8½”); earning the ‘Stifle Tower’ nickname. His wingspan record didn’t last long, though, as Walter Tavares broke it the very next year.
Who was Rudy Gobert traded for?
It’s not like Rudy Gobert was traded for a superstar. Shortly after being taken by the Denver Nuggets with the 27th overall pick, the team traded him away to the Utah Jazz for Erick Green and cash considerations. Notably, Green averaged roughly 3.1 points per game over 52 career appearances and was out of the league by his second season. Imagine how a frontcourt duo of Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert would’ve dominated the game.
Rudy Gobert – Utah Jazz
Just as most of the players who are drafted late in the first round, it took a while before the Jazz actually needed his services. Gobert was assigned to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League (now called G-League) to develop his game and start the process of adding some weight and muscle before his game was NBA-ready. He spent most of his NBA debut season between the D-League and the first team but wasn’t seeing much of the floor.
Gobert’s game evolved and his minutes grew drastically during his sophomore year. He proved to be a nightly double-double threat with averages of 8.4 points, 1.3 assists, and 9.5 rebounds per game in limited playing time, appearing in all 82 regular-season games.
Also, he averaged over two blocks per game for the first of eight straight seasons, making the Salt Lake Tribune and every local news front page for his ability to alter every shot and protect the rim nearly at will. With Gobert at the center position, the Jazz were able to create one of the most dominant defenses in the game, dominating powerhouses like the Los Angeles Lakers in each of their trips to Salt Lake City.
His breakout season came during the 2017-18 campaign, starting the campaign with double-doubles in eight consecutive games. He became the first Jazz player to win DPOY honors since Mark Eaton, altering games with his shot-blocking skills and ability to create turnovers. He became a master at this matter and his defensive prowess often led the Jazz to victory, although to no avail in the playoffs.
Next year, he set a season-high record for most dunks in a season with 306 and was named DPOY again, averaging a career-high 15.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. But even despite his nice play, the Jazz once again lost the chance to play in June as they couldn’t get the job done in the postseason.
Gobert’s physicality and length helped the Jazz gain some ground in the West and Donovan Mitchell’s points and playmaking sure make them one of the squads to beat. However, they’ve failed to cash in on those opportunities and bring back the NBA Finals to the site for the first time since the John Stockton-Karl Malone era.
Rudy Gobert – Awards And Accolades
Even though he hasn’t been around the game for that much, and despite some people calling him overrated, Gobert has found plenty of success in the league. Thus far, he’s made five All-Defensive First Team, was the leader in blocks in 2017, has been named Defensive Player of the Year three times (including back-to-back selections in 2018 and 2019), is a three-time All-Star, and has made one All-NBA Second Team, and three All-NBA Third Teams. Also, he was named French Player of the Year in 2019.
Rudy Gobert – French National Team
Gobert has been a part of the French national team for quite some time now. He played for the FIBA U-18 championship and was the best rebounder and scorer in the game, outshining his teammates with ease. Then, he continued his international career by helping the junior squad win the bronze medal at the 2011 FIBA Europe U-20 and then the silver medal at the FIBA Europe U-20 championship in 2012.
He earned All-Tournament honors that year. Then, he became a part of their squad for the 2012 Olympics. Later, he played a bigger role on the team that won the bronze medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2015 Eurobasket. He continued to excel during the 2016 Olympics, although his team failed to reach the podium. He helped win the bronze medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and recently won the silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His game has been fundamental for France’s recent surge.
Rudy Gobert – COVID-19 Controversy
Gobert drew plenty of criticism and was deemed as the ‘patient zero’ of the COVID-19 pandemic within the NBA. Just a couple of days before testing positive for the virus, Gobert mocked the league’s health and safety protocols by touching all of the microphones in front of him to end his media availability. As a result and in order to prevent a massive outbreak, the league shut down its activities nearly as soon as Gobert tested positive, even canceling the very game he was supposed to play in.
Needless to say, he faced a lot of backlash for his recklessness at the time. Gobert was quick to apologize on social media but the league still halted the season for several months, leading up to the bubble in Orlando.
“I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support over the last 24 hours. I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis…mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment,” Gobert wrote on Instagram. “The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus. I am under great care and will fully recover. Thank you again for all your support. I encourage everyone to take all of the steps to stay safe and healthy. Love.”
Did Rudy Gobert Get A Max Contract?
Yes, following his impressive efforts on the defensive end of the floor, and after earning DPOY honors, Gobert was eligible to sign a max contract extension. HE signed a fully-guaranteed five-year contract worth $205 million.
He’s got an average salary of $41 million, with his contract starting at $35,344,828 in 2021-22 and going all the way up to $46,655,173 by the 2025-26 season when he’ll be 33 years old. Needless to say, that big deal drew some contrasting takes around social media, with Shaquille O’Neal and others claiming that he was vastly overpaid.
“I’m jealous, but I’m happy,” Shaq said of Gobert’s contract The Rex Chapman Show. “I’m jealous because I always thought that you had to have Michael-Jordan, superb-type numbers to get that type of money. That’s what it was in my era, but I’m happy for the kids.
“Rudy Gobert is not the average-type, big-guy NBA player no more. ‘Cause the average big they’re looking for now is a guy that can pick-and-pop and do whatever. Rudy Gobert’s big, tall, plays hard, great defense, Defensive Player of the Year,” Shaq added. “You’re not gonna be LeBron. You’re not gonna be Kobe. You’re not gonna be Shaq. You’re not gonna be Garnett. But I think there’s a lot of big guys even today that can do what he can do. So when I tell the story, people think, ‘Oh, you’re just jealous.’ Yeah, I am jealous he’s making $250 (million).”
Now, it’ll be up to him to prove why he got such a massive payday and bring back pride for those defensive-oriented players in an offensive-minded league. Hopefully, he’ll silence his critics once and for all.
How much does Rudy Gobert get paid?
In the 2022-23 season, Gobert’s base salary will be a whopping $38,172,414, bringing his cap hit and dead cap value to the same amount.
Who did the Nuggets trade Rudy Gobert for?
In 2013, the Denver Nuggets made a trade that, at the time, seemed to be a minor transaction – exchanging the 27th pick for the 46th selection and cash. Little did they know that this decision would shape the future of the NBA: the Utah Jazz selected Rudy Gobert with the 46th pick, who went on to become a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. This serves as a reminder that every draft selection is significant and should not be taken lightly.
