After securing a hard-fought victory over Dallas on Saturday, Jazz big man Rudy Gobert made sure to call out the naysayers.
In response to all the noise his team has endured over the past few days, he spoke loudly in the post-game press conference.
“Man, f–k the talk,” Gobert said. “We’re just trying to be the best team we can be. We try to enjoy the moment and whatever happens, happens.”
"F–k the talk." 👀
Gobert didn't hold back postgame. https://t.co/zRjrY0Wj88
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2022
The Jazz are not a bad team. Together, Gobert and his co-star, Donovan Mitchell, have kept the team relevant for years and, just a season ago, they finished with the best record in the NBA.
The playoffs are where everything changes for Utah. For whatever reason, they haven’t been able to find much success at that level — and both fans and experts haven’t been shy about calling it out.
“Well. Utah 2017-2022. Swept in round 2 by Golden State. Lost in round 2 to Houston. Lost in round 1 to Houston. Lost in round 1 to Denver. Lost in round 2 to the Clippers, and headed to what it seems like a loss this year to the Mavs. What’s crazy, no Kawhi last year, they lose. They might lose to the Mavericks without Luka Doncic. Even crazier, Luka might get to the 2nd round for the first time, he’s not even f***ing playing. He’s wearing street clothes,” said Bill Simmons.
Gobert, a 3x Defensive Player of the Year, has been at the frontlines of backlash from the NBA community. His flaws, especially on the offensive end, have become a common point of attack for the haters.
Despite it all, Utah still has a chance to win. With the series tied at 2-2, they can close the series out by Thursday and move on to face what will likely be Phoenix in Round 2.
So, no matter who counts them out, Gobert and the Jazz will continue to fight for legitimacy in the West until there’s nothing left to give. And if they can somehow shock the world and make the Finals, it could be what they need to finally win back some respect.
