Unbelievable: Timberwolves star’s shocking reaction in response to former Uta jazz DPOY award
Rudy Gobert, who has been the starting center for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, recently received his fourth Defensive Player of the Year title. Dwight Howard responded to the big man’s DPOY victory with the greatest response to date as a result.
Gobert was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 27th overall choice in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Utah Jazz. As his team’s backup center, the French big would only play 45 games that season, averaging 2.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Eventually, the Jazz big man would improve, and in the 2016–17 campaign, he was the team’s starting center. The French sensation finished first in the NBA that year in blocks (rejecting 2.6 shots per game) in addition to his 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
Gobert and Donovan Mitchell helped Utah make it to the playoffs several times. The two All-Stars in Utah’s core, however, were its ceiling, and the front office blew it all up by dealing the big man to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite being made fun of at first for the quantity of assets traded, Gobert proved his worth by assisting Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in finishing third in the regular season. Additionally, he played a key role in their victories over the Phoenix Suns and the Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic in back-to-back games.
Dwight Howard Responds To The Center Of The Minnesota Timberwolves The Defensive Player of the Year Award Won by Rudy Gobert
Following Gobert’s fourth DPOY victory, a number of celebrities shared their opinions on the player. Former Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard included the following in a message he shared on X:
“Well done, Rudy! I’ll say this as a DPOY: of all the victories you’ve had, this has been the best defense I’ve ever seen! This year, get a ring, then pursue another one so you can be the only one with five! Howard tweeted, “I’m telling you all that retreating into darkness will make you become a different animal.
Gobert claimed to have gone on a “darkness retreat” in the off-season, spending about 64 hours completely submerged in darkness. He stated, adding that the aforementioned event gave him the ability to reflect and meditate.
Gobert’s darkness retreat appeared to have done wonders for his campaign this season, as Howard emphasized. The Timberwolves star might go on another one if everything goes according to plan, simply to win another DPOY award.
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Rudy Gobert’s estimated 2024 net worth
In 2024, Rudy Gobert will have a $60 million net worth. During his early NBA years, Gobert has advanced significantly. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year has gone from playing hardly at all with the Utah Jazz in his rookie campaign to being the league’s finest rim protector. He is now a formidable defensive player. Let’s investigate Rudy Gobert’s 2024 net worth.
What is the estimated net worth of Rudy Gobert in 2024? $60 million
In 2024, Rudy Gobert will have a $60 million net worth. Numerous sources, including Celebrity Net Worth, confirm this.
On June 26, 1992, Gobert was born in Saint-Quentin, France. The young athlete appeared to emulate his father, a professional basketball player in Paris and Saint-Quentin after he played collegiate ball in the United States.
After taking up the sport in 2003, Gobert saw rapid success with the French under-18 national team, where he displayed exceptional rebounding and scoring abilities.
The youthful center would continue to refine his abilities with Cholet Basket, a French League team, from 2010 to 2013. Following his declaration, he entered the 2013 NBA Draft, whereupon the Denver Nuggets selected him with the 27th overall choice on draft night and traded him to the Utah Jazz.
With his 7-foot-1 height and 7-foot-8.5 wingspan, he was instantly dubbed “The Stifle Tower.” As expected, the French center did not disappoint.
Rudy Gobert starts playing in the NBA.
Gobert subsequently inked his first NBA contract, a four-year, $5.5 million agreement with the Jazz, according to Spotrac. He played in the D-League for a significant portion of his first season before joining Utah on a full-time basis in 2014–15.
With his strong defensive play and many career highs—including seven blocks, 24 rebounds, and 25 double-doubles—he rapidly cemented a successful NBA career. After the following season, Gobert’s rookie contract was renewed by the Jazz. He averaged slightly over nine points, 11 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks on the season.
When Utah’s front staff signed the big man to a $102 million, four-year agreement in October 2016, many eyes were raised. Ultimately, this meant that he had just surpassed all other French athletes in terms of yearly earnings.
He had a pretty good season, proving a lot of people wrong. Gobert continued to lead the league in blocks per game with an average of 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 14.0 points. He began to make an impression on the league, being selected for both the NBA All-Defensive First Team and the NBA All-NBA Second Team.
Rudy Gobert’s honors
The Jazz center has added more honors to his resume since then. Thus far, Gobert has been selected for three All-Star teams, six All-Defensive first teams, one All-NBA Second team, and three All-NBA Third team selections.
Additionally, he became one of just three players to have won Defensive Player of the Year at least four times, with the likes of Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo.
When the French big man tested positive for COVID-19 back in March 2020, it created quite a commotion, particularly because he made light of the developing coronavirus crisis during a press conference.
This started a series of events that resulted in the cancellation of the 2019–20 season and the isolation zone that followed—also known as the Disney or Orlando bubble.
The major contract deal for Rudy Gobert
The Jazz and the former 27th overall pick most recently agreed to a five-year, $205 million deal extension in 2020, according to Spotrac. The deal was not just the biggest ever for a center, but it was also the third-largest in NBA history at the time. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Gobert has already earned around $138 million in his NBA career as of the start of his ninth season.
Outside of the Jazz, Gobert competes internationally for France. The three-time NBA All-Star went on to win an Olympic silver medal with the French national team in 2020 after participating in many FIBA World Cups and winning a bronze at EuroBasket 2015. He averaged 12.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while starting.
Rudy Gobert is acquired by the Timberwolves
In a sensational offseason transaction during the 2022 NBA season, the Utah Jazz acquired Gobert for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves traded Utah four first-round draft picks, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Leandro Bolmaro in exchange for a pick swap.
Although Gobert’s first season in Minnesota wasn’t perfect, the Timberwolves have improved their relationship significantly in the 2023–24 campaign and appear to be a strong contender in the Western Conference. They defeated Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the opening round as the third seed.
The Wolves defeated the reigning champion Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic in their opening two away games of the second round. Despite Gobert’s absence from the game due to the birth of his baby, the Wolves prevailed in Game 2.
Having said that, does Rudy Gobert’s 2024 net worth surprise you?
