Throughout his NBA career, Rudy Gobert has faced significant criticism from both his fellow players and media personalities. Despite this, he remains unfazed by the latest critique.
Gobert was named the league’s most overrated player in a poll conducted by The Athletic, with 142 players voting, representing nearly a third of the league.
“In their eyes, I’m more like the odd guy from France that’s winning a lot of awards, and it can bother people,” Gobert told ESPN. “I impact the games in a very unique way. It’s maybe not as cool or not as flashy as some other guys, so it’s sometimes harder for them to respect that. I just think I’m just mostly misunderstood. I think I trigger a lot of these guys.”
Despite the negative feedback, the Timberwolves’ center is considered a strong contender for his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.
Gobert has faced criticism from various NBA figures, including Draymond Green and Shaquille O’Neal, throughout the season.
While he used to let the outside noise affect him, Gobert now views criticism as “a form of respect.”
“But also, it’s the entertainment game,” Gobert stated. “Most people are followers. They just follow what’s the common trend. What’s the common thing to laugh about? Now, unfortunately in this generation, it’s more about how much attention it is going to bring more than about the truth behind it. … So, yeah, I’m OK with living with that now.”
What critics fail to acknowledge is that the Timberwolves boast the league’s top-ranked defense, allowing just 108.2 points per 100 possessions. The team’s defensive rating improves to 106.3 when Gobert is on the court.
Despite Gobert’s ability to handle criticism, his girlfriend expressed her thoughts on the matter with a strong statement on Instagram following the poll.
