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Rudy Gobert: My goal is to be the best defender ever

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For Rudy Gobert’s part, he’ll be holding it down on the other end. On most nights, anyway. “My goal is to be the best defender ever,” said Gobert, whose Timberwolves had the league’s top defense last season. “And now my only focus is to win a championship and to keep impacting my team, keep trying to make my team the top defense in this league. I think that’s the best measure of an all-time defender.”
Source: New York Times

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Sam Amick @sam_amick
In the Anthony Davis column, I spoke to Rudy Gobert about the DPOY debate that gets reignited every time he has a rough night. Add in AD’s belief that he gets no respect on that front, and there was…a vibe when they clashed.
More here, at @TheAthletic
nytimes.com/athletic/58679… – 9:55 AM
Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
With his new extension, Rudy Gobert reaches $371 million in guaranteed NBA earnings.
Good enough for 20th all-time. pic.x.com/BfwvZUZVLa – 4:10 AM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
🇨🇵 ✍ Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves have agreed to a three-year, $110 million contract extension! pic.x.com/51C9EFWsD7 – 3:10 AM

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Timberwolves Extend Rudy Gobert with 3-Year, $110M Deal sportando.basketball/en/timberwolve… – 2:37 AM
Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Rudy Gobert will decline a player option and sign a three-year contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/17… – 2:00 AM
Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
New Dunc’d On Prime with @DannyLeroux breaks down everything that opening night portends for the season, the Gobert Extension, and the depressing Sixers news. Join us: duncdon.supportingcast.fm pic.x.com/wQFJgJ7WKO – 1:47 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Randle was lethargic and Gobert was lit up but what might escape tonight is how rough the Naz Reid minutes were defensively, especially in 2nd quarter – 1:32 AM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Max Christie is the first Laker off the bench, as expected, giving LeBron an early rest.
Davis quickly hit a pull-up J over Gobert and is now 2 for 2 with LA up 13-7.
Naz Reid – last year’s 6th Man of the Year – and Donte DiVincenzo checked in on the next trip. – 10:18 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Timberwolves with more turnovers than buckets to start this game.
Again, the spacing with Randle/Gobert on floor together is going to lead to some nasty ass possessions – 10:15 PM
Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
And here’s what we wrote about Rudy Gobert on Monday night.
The extension only made sense if Gobert was declining his option and taking less, which he did. pic.x.com/5tS3ZMDD6P – 10:13 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Developing ESPN story on four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves reaching agreement on a three-year, $110 million contract extension at tipoff of NBA season: espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 10:12 PM
Ball Don’t Lie @Balldontlie
RUI POSTERIZING RUDY GOBERT TWO MINUTES INTO THE SEASON
(via @NBA)
pic.x.com/60rsEOr3q6 – 10:11 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Rui Hachimura must have heard about Rudy Gobert contract extension. Gotdam – 10:10 PM
Christopher Hine @ChristopherHine
Gobert news delayed me a bit. Season 7 for me on the Timberwolves beat. Some might say Frasier Season 7 was its best. Let’s see what this season has in store. – 10:06 PM
Ball Don’t Lie @Balldontlie
BREAKING: Rudy Gobert has reached a three-year, $110 million contract extension with the Timberwolves, per @ShamsCharania. pic.x.com/LcWHYDIGrL – 9:57 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has reached a three-year, $110 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. T’Wolves and Gobert’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, negotiated the new deal locking in the league-record four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner in Minnesota. pic.x.com/1FfVQnbJYa – 9:53 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, LeBron and AD will start Game 1, as expected.
Minnesota counters with Conley, Edwards, McDaniels, Randle and Gobert.
Pregame show still going on @SpectrumSN, with the game on TNT in 20 minutes. – 9:41 PM
Ball Don’t Lie @Balldontlie
Julius Randle arrives with Rudy Gobert for his Timberwolves debut 👀 pic.x.com/79DuxhMR6h – 8:11 PM

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Players we ranked higher than any other media outlet:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Anthony Edwards
Jalen Brunson
Tyrese Maxey
Domantas Sabonis
Paolo Banchero
Pascal Siakam
Rudy Gobert
Alperen Sengun
Jaren Jackson Jr
LaMelo Ball
Cade Cunningham
Julius Randle
hoopshype.com/lists/ranking-… – 5:22 PM
Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
🫡Check Eurohoops’ Top 10 best NBA players from Europe!
🇷🇸1. Nikola Jokic
🇸🇮2. Luka Doncic
🇬🇷3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
🇨🇵4. Victor Wembanyama
🇱🇻 5. Kristaps Porzingis
🇱🇹 6. Domantas Sabonis
🇩🇪 7. Franz Wagner
🇹🇷 8. Alperen Sengun
🇫🇮 9. Lauri Markkanen
🇨🇵 10. Rudy Gobert pic.x.com/pLRg7F7qTX – 9:53 AM

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
The Top 10 2025 free agents (as of now)
Kyrie Irving
LeBron James
Brandon Ingram
Rudy Gobert
Julius Randle
Jimmy Butler
Aaron Gordon
Myles Turner
Jonathan Kuminga
Josh Giddey
hoopshype.com/lists/2025-nba… – 6:11 PM

More on this storyline

To be fair to Gobert, he heaped praise on Davis while discussing this topic. He called him a “great player.” He called him a “great defender.” But the premise that comes with this comparison, this inference that a less-famous player in a small market is getting undeserved acclaim over higher-profile stars like Davis who play in big markets, is what perplexes him. “People love to discredit those awards,” he continued. “But you’ve got to ask yourself the question: ‘Is Rudy Gobert, who played for the Utah Jazz and the Timberwolves, really that exciting? Are the voters really excited to vote for me, or are they just people who watch basketball from morning to evening … and really try to vote based on the impact? If it was based on excitement, I don’t think I would have any DPOYs.” -via New York Times / October 24, 2024
So as Gobert headed out of Crypto.com arena for the night, I wanted to get his view on the notion that this particular matchup might have been personal for Davis. The 32-year-old Timberwolves big man is well aware that he’s one of — if not the — most divisive players in the game today. What’s more, he knows that his Olympics benching with Team France during the summer (culminating with his 12-minute outing against Team USA in the gold medal game) was like red meat for his many skeptics. But in this modern-day NBA space, where Gobert’s ability to transform defenses in Utah and Minnesota has become the indisputable foundation of his legacy, his resume on that end remains unmatched. No matter how badly Davis might have beaten him, and them, in the opener. “This is not something that I’ve (earned) over one game,” Gobert told The Athletic about his reputation. “It’s something that happens over the course of the season. Consistency is boring. So I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s hard for some people to understand what I do.” -via New York Times / October 24, 2024