“I am a misunderstood person”

« You don't really know Rudy until you play with him. » If ever Donte DiVincenzo, Timberwolves rookie, had some negative preconceptions about Rudy Gobert, they were shattered after a handful of weeks of cohabitation. The shooter salutes both the work ethic of the 2.16 meter pivot and his singular shooting. Problem is, the concordance of compliments is sometimes lacking among commentator-consultants, or even among adversaries.

There remain the facts. This year, Gobert experienced his first Conference final (West) in a major role, gleaned a fourth title of best defender (joining Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace at the top), before grabbing a second Olympic silver medal with the the French team. At 32 years old, he is embarking on his twelfth NBA season. Sure of himself.

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LA TRIBUNE SUNDAY — Do you now see yourself as a veteran, a player who feels the years passing?

RUDY GOBERT — It's a mixture of feelings. In the team, we have a 19 year old rookie [Rob -Dillingham]. The other day, in the locker room, I realized he was only 7 years old when I got drafted. There, you measure your journey. Despite that, I tell myself that this is going to be my best season. Excitement-wise, it’s like it’s my first. A form of wisdom is combined with passion and motivation. And what is certain is that I don't feel at the end at all, but in the heat of the moment. Explosive and stronger than ever.

Is your team also the best in which you have played, the best suited for the title?

We clearly have all the weapons to go all the way. But in Utah, at one point, I had that feeling too. And the experiences of previous seasons give me a little more perspective. It's very hard to part with someone like Karl-Anthony Towns [All Star parti à New York en échange de Julius Randle, autre All Star, et Donte DiVincenzo]but we have brought back players who really help us.

You have just signed a contract extension (three years and $110 million), while lowering your expected salary for next season (by around $13 million). What motivated this choice?

The first factor is that we have the potential to do incredible things. The second is that I like it here and so does my little family. [il est papa d’un garçon depuis mai]. It allows me to project myself a little more, even if in the NBA you never really know what will happen. And then the reduction in my salary next year will give more latitude to managers in the transfer market. For me, it was truly a win-win.

Despite your feats of arms, you are the subject of recurring criticism, from consultants or adversaries. The height of your emoluments (15esalary in the league, first among the French, far ahead of Victor Wembanyama) is the main explanation?

There are several reasons. Some I can understand, some I don't. Of course, the financial side matters. THE salary capis much higher than twenty years ago and many former players say to themselves: “ He has that, I didn't have as much.» Maybe there is a little jealousy. Add to that the fact of coming from Europe: you always have to do a little more to have the same respect. Trophies may reward foreigners, but it's still hard for some to understand that the NBA is the reflection of a sport that has become global. Overall, I think I'm a misunderstood person. I don't communicate a lot, I remain a fairly private person. And then there's my game: the way I impact the team is less obvious to the naked eye than to other players. Even in pure stats [11 points, 10,5 rebonds cette saison].

When you reframe, via the networks, a new Shaquille O'Neal release, is it because it always stings a little?

We live in a world where the notion of truth is increasingly vague. We read a tweet or a quote without really going any further, and it sticks in our minds. I'm not trying to compete with these people. [ses détracteurs]especially since what they say will never define me. I tend to ignore everyone's little opinions. But, sometimes, it's important to say what I think about certain behaviors.

Before your fourth title as best defender in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama slipped this: “May Rudy win it this year, after that it will no longer be his turn. » Is the favorite now, or is it you?

Look what's being said in Las Vegas, I think it's him right now. [Il sourit.] Young Rudy could have said something like that to today's Rudy. I loved his formula: he didn't say he deserved to win, but he showed his ambitions and that's great. I have a lot of affection for Victor, I wish him to win many trophies.

How can we explain that your association with the Olympic Games did not create as much spark as announced?

All good things take time and I think we ran out of it. We showed very good things in the first preparation matches, on both sides of the pitch. Behind, it was a little less good and the possibilities of evolving together ended up being reduced. But even during the Games, some footage showed what it could look like. So it's still too early to judge our association. I always think that we can be very complementary, that we are unique, both of us, and that we can make each other better. But alchemy doesn't happen by snapping your fingers. As a French team, the story is not over between us.

Rudy Gobert fighting with Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox during Minnesota's victory in Sacramento (130-126) on November 15, 2024. (Credits: LTD/David Berding/GETTY via AFP)

Were you surprised by your downgrade over the Games, with an exit from the major five?

Yes, a little. The injury [points de suture à deux doigts] happened at the same time, but it still surprised me. Especially before the potentially most important match [quart de finale France-Canada]against players I meet all year round. But I took it more as an adjustment than a downgrade. The fact of playing for three minutes, with a hand that had been put to sleep and sewn up the day before, that was already it. And I can't control the coach's adjustments [Vincent Collet]with whom we did not discuss the subject again.

Next summer, if you qualify for the Euro, will you be there?

The season is going to be long, a lot of factors can change. We'll see, but my heart, for sure, is still in the French team. I know the new coach [Frédéric Fauthoux]we are going to exchange. And I've also heard good things about him as a coach. I can't wait to see all of this.