Rudy Gobert Achieves Milestone: 10,000 Rebounds and Counting
Trailing by two in the final minute of Minnesota’s dramatic win over the Thunder on Friday, Rudy Gobert tapped a rebound off a missed Julius Randle free throw out toward Donte DiVincenzo to give Minnesota another look at the bucket. The ensuing shot was Anthony Edwards’ go-ahead, stepback triple that gave the Wolves the lead for good against the NBA’s best team. That rebound put Gobert at 15 for the night, showcasing his incredible skills on the court.
Asked about the play after the game, Gobert turned the question onto the media, inquiring about the rules surrounding rebounding. “So, when you tap it out, it’s a rebound, huh?” he said. Gobert, known as a tap-out king, often doesn’t receive the statistical credit for the extra possessions he creates. The intent of his comment was clear, and within an hour of the game’s conclusion, the massive rebound was stat corrected to a board for DiVincenzo.
Gobert’s Rebounding Prowess
Gobert has been given credit for 10,016 rebounds in his NBA career, with 18 of those coming in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee, including rebound No. 10,000. “Not a lot of people do that,” Wolves guard Mike Conley noted. “He’s gonna be in the Hall of Fame someday. He knows it, and he’s been just a guy that continues to challenge himself every year, and all the hard work is paying off.” While round numbers are somewhat arbitrary, Gobert said such a plateau provided a good time to “pause and reflect a little bit on the journey.”
Gobert, still in his prime at 33 years old, feels he’s still getting better, still learning every day, and still figuring things out. “I’m feeling great. I feel like I’m still getting better, still learning every day, still figuring things out every day,” he said. “There’s always ways to improve. It’s fun. It’s fun to have that drive to always get better. It’s not just about basketball. It’s so much deeper than that: get better as a leader and as a person, as a dad, as a leader in my community, leader in everything I do.”
The Key to Gobert’s Improvement
Gobert’s play suggests improvement, with his performance Sunday marking his fifth-straight game with 12-plus rebounds. The key to that improvement, per Gobert, is Jiu jitsu. “I try to pressure them as much as I can. They get away with being very physical with me, so I realize that I have to be even more physical with them and use momentum and strength and everything I know and have to our advantage,” he said. Gobert is fifth in rebounds among active NBA players, trailing only Andre Drummond, LeBron James, Nikola Vucevic, and DeAndre Jordan.
While Gobert noted his evolution as a rebounder as the game has changed over the years, he still insists rebounding is “99 percent” effort and desire. “There’s other guys that are big, too. I think it starts there,” he said. “Then just being able to just try to feel the game … and just compete, compete for the ball.” Gobert’s dedication and perseverance have made him a dominant force on the court, and his 10,000 rebounds are a testament to his hard work and commitment to the sport.
Read more about Rudy Gobert’s achievement and the Minnesota Timberwolves Here
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