(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Few NBA players have drawn more criticism and mockery than Rudy Gobert.
As great a rim protector as he is, he’s always been deemed as soft, overrated, and overpaid.
Nonetheless, his impact speaks for itself, and he’s already put together a Hall of Fame kind of résumé.
He’s now won his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, tied with legends like Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most of all time.
However, instead of addressing his long list of critics and haters or patting himself on the back, the French big man took some time to thank the Minnesota Timberwolves organization for the trust they had in him and everything they gave up to get him, adding that he’s looking forward to changing the culture there (via ClutchPoints).
“I really have a lot of gratitude for Tim Connelly, Chris Finch, all my teammates for believing in me… And just try to change the culture here in Minnesota.”
Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert after winning his fourth DPOY award
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/biiwVDtlNz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 7, 2024
Some might argue that Gobert shouldn’t have won more DPOY awards than, say, Dwight Howard or other legendary defenders, and that might be a valid point.
Still, every season is evaluated in a vacuum, and whether he had already won the award multiple times shouldn’t be a factor when voting for this year’s winner.
Also, even though Victor Wembanyama’s defensive numbers and impact were significantly better than anybody else’s, his team simply wasn’t good at all, and winning also matters.
Gobert continues to pile up accolades and milestones.
He might never be a fan favorite or the most popular guy in the league, but it’s about time he gets the credit he deserves as one of the greatest rim protectors this game has ever seen.
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