Rudy Gobert, French basketball player
Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel ( goh-BEAR; born June 26, 1992) is a French professional basketball player of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the French national team in their international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall with a wingspan of 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) long, he plays the center position. He is considered one of the NBA’s best rim protectors.
Gobert has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award three times, tied for second-most in NBA history. He is a four-time All-NBA Team member, five-time All-Defensive Team member, and three-time NBA All-Star. Gobert was also the NBA blocks leader in the 2016–17 season and the NBA rebounding leader in the 2021–22 season.
In 2019, Gobert broke the single-season record for dunks with 306. That year, Gobert also led the NBA in screen assists, with 482, effective field goal percentage, with 66.9 percent, and true shooting percentage, at 68.2 percent. He has been named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2017, and the All-NBA Third Team in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
In March 2020, Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first NBA player with a confirmed case of the virus. After teammates of Gobert's on the Utah Jazz, including Donovan Mitchell, also tested positive, the NBA postponed the 2019–20 season until its resumption on July 30 of the same year.