Rudy Gobert wrote NBA history, winning the award for the fourth time (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024) Defensive Player of the Yearjoining players like Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace in this special ranking.
Gobert has played a crucial role in the Timberwolves’ defense this season. His team allowed only 108.4 points per 100 possessions, even surpassing the Boston Celtics.
Gobert also demonstrated his superiority through statistics: he maintained an average of 2.1 blocks per game and limited opponents to 45.2% shooting, the lowest rate among players who faced at least 1,000 shots. Additionally, he ranked fourth in defensive rebounds.
It’s a great team effort. We love getting individual awards and all these things, and that’s great, but you can’t do it alone. I really have a lot of gratitude for… all my teammates for believing in me, allowing me to do what I do best every day and just trying to change the culture here at Minnesota
Rudy Gobert
His defensive prowess wasn’t just limited to near the basket: Gobert was also exceptional at switching and defending against pick-and-roll. In practice, he made it extremely difficult for his opponents to score in numerous situations.
This year, at Training Camp, we showed up on the first day and said we wanted to be one of the best defenses in this league. Everyone worked hard every single day, and now we’re here with one goal in mind, to try to get this championship
Rudy Gobert
Even during the Playoffs NBA, the Timberwolves continued to demonstrate that defense is their strong point, also putting the Nuggets in great difficulty Nikola Jokic.
Great things take time. You all know that winning isn’t something that happens overnight. You need to overcome adversity, you need to go through ups and downs as a group
Rudy Gobert
The Timberwolves teach us that achieving great goals requires commitment and time; winning is not a quick and easy path. Gobert and his teammates have significantly improved their game over time, proving that they are a team capable of truly fighting for the NBA title.
