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Reading: Former NBA Player Defends Rudy Gobert Amid Widespread Criticism
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Minnesota Timberwolves News & Analysis > Former NBA Player Defends Rudy Gobert Amid Widespread Criticism

Former NBA Player Defends Rudy Gobert Amid Widespread Criticism

Rudy Gobert has faced a lot of criticism recently and former NBA player Jaren Jackson Sr. has come to his defense.

Gautam Varier
Sep 9, 2024
5 Min Read
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Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Rudy Gobert has had one too many shots fired at him recently and a former NBA player has now come to his defense. Jaren Jackson Sr., father of Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr., sympathized with Gobert’s plight during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“I feel for him,” Jackson said. “He’s another one that plays defense. It’s not the prettiest part of the game, it’s not the most entertaining, not gonna be on ESPN about his blocks. All of these big guys today, the game has changed. You no longer just sit in the paint… Now these guys gotta move.

“I think Rudy is just trying to be the best help side defender he can be,” Jackson continued. “It’s just not appreciated… There are other areas of his game, he probably needs to be better at. As a veteran player, he should be better at other areas of his game, but he’s found his niche, to play defense… I don’t care what people say about him.”

Rudy Gobert has been the target of recent vitriol from former and current NBA players.

Former Guard @JarenSrJackson defends the Minnesota big man with @BgeltzNBA and @SamMitchellNBA. pic.twitter.com/1lWdOezSwS

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 7, 2024

Jackson, who had a 12-year NBA career, believes Gobert should have improved other facets of his game by now, but considers much of the hate unwarranted. As he pointed out, the way the game is played has changed, and it certainly hasn’t been a good change for the bigs.

Gobert has somewhat been the poster child for bigs being exposed when having to step away from the basket. He struggled in the postseason for many years but, to his credit, was far better in that regard in the 2024 playoffs.

Unfortunately, all of Gobert’s good work in the first two rounds of the postseason was forgotten after he struggled guarding Luka Doncic at times in the Western Conference Finals. That series led to all the hate coming to the forefront yet again.

Dallas Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II fired shots at Gobert for his performances in the Western Conference Finals. Lively felt there was no reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves should have played him as much as they did in that matchup.

Prior to that, Dwight Howard had dissed Gobert by claiming he didn’t deserve all the four DPOY awards he had won. While Howard praised him for playing better defense this past season, he still doesn’t consider him an elite defender.

While those were some brutal comments, the worst of the lot came from Shaquille O’Neal, who has been the most vocal critic of the Timberwolves star. O’Neal named Gobert the worst player in NBA history, stating that it’s players like him who screw up the system for everyone else. I think this hate train won’t stop until he wins a championship and even that might not be enough.


Eddie Johnson Is Baffled By The Rudy Gobert Hate

Eddie Johnson has been around the NBA for a while now, first as a player and now as an analyst. Johnson claimed on SiriusXM NBA Radio that, in all this time, he has never seen a situation like the one Gobert finds himself in.

“This is something that Rudy Gobert has to address because, obviously, his demeanor on the court, maybe he is saying stuff to players that we are not privy to hear, and maybe that’s part of it? I don’t know, but the vitriol against this man, it baffles me,” Johnson said. “This is one of the most baffling situations I think I have seen in the league to this point.”

“You got a guy that’s a defensive marvel,” Johnson added. “A freak of nature that can run the floor, he can bother you, get out on your shots, all of these things he can do, but people nitpick on the things that he can’t do at a high level.”

Why does Rudy Gobert get criticized at times by other players?@jumpshot8 would like an answer to that question pic.twitter.com/tMBMlgtzql

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 6, 2024

I certainly can’t recall a situation like this either. Gobert isn’t perfect by any means but you’d think he’s one of the absolute worst players in the league based on some of the comments. The three-time All-Star averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game last season and deserves more respect than he gets.

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ByGautam Varier
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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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