NBA
RG
#27

Rudy Gobert

Center · Minnesota Timberwolves · 7'1", 258 lb · Born Jun 26, 1992 · Saint-Quentin, France · Drafted 27th overall, 2013
4× DPOY8× All-Defensive First TeamThe Stifle Tower🇫🇷 France
NBAMinnesota TimberwolvesCenters
Compare:vs Edwardsvs Dosunmuvs DiVincenzovs McDanielsvs Randlevs Reid
In short

Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and elite rim-protecting center for the Minnesota Timberwolves — tied for the most DPOY awards in NBA history. A French big drafted 27th in 2013, 'The Stifle Tower' anchors Minnesota's defense with his 7-foot-9 wingspan, made his eighth All-Defensive First Team in 2026, and is a two-time Olympic silver medalist.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
vsNew Orleans PelicansAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
10.9
range 8.2–13.6
Line 11
48%
to go over
Team win
63%
114–111
Poi 10.9 Lean underReb 11.5 Lean underAss 1.7 Lean overPRA 24 Lean over
Likely on himDerik Queen· 83 Rim protectionStrong defender
10+ pts62%15+ pts9%

Model lines Gobert at 10.9 pts (range 8.2–13.6) vs a 11 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Gobert
The Gobert Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

One of the greatest defenders ever — a four-time DPOY and the rim-protecting soul of Minnesota's defense.

A lightly-recruited French teen who skipped college, Gobert set Combine records and was drafted 27th in 2013 (Denver, traded to Utah).

🇫🇷 Cholet · 27th, 2013Combine records

He won four Defensive Player of the Year awards — tied for most ever — as a superstar anchor in Utah.

🏆 4× DPOYTied most ever

Traded to Minnesota in a 2022 blockbuster, he anchors one of the league's best defenses.

Traded to MIN, 2022Elite defense

He made his eighth All-Defensive First Team in 2026 and is a two-time Olympic silver medalist.

8× All-Def 1st10.9 / 11.5 · .682
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
10.9
2025-26
RPG
11.5
per game
APG
1.7
per game
FG%
.682
LIFE

Roots & the rise

One of the greatest defensive players ever — a four-time DPOY and the rim-protecting anchor of Minnesota.

Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel was born in Saint-Quentin, France, the son of a professional player, and came up through Cholet Basket rather than college, setting NBA Draft Combine records for wingspan and standing reach. Denver drafted him 27th in 2013 and traded him to Utah, where he became a superstar defender.

He won four Defensive Player of the Year awards (2018, 2019, 2021, 2024) — tied for the most in NBA history — and was traded to Minnesota in 2022 in a blockbuster. 'The Stifle Tower' made his eighth All-Defensive First Team in 2026, anchors one of the league's best defenses next to Jaden McDaniels, and is a two-time Olympic silver medalist for France.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Gobert's basketball roots are French and Caribbean: his father, Rudy Bourgarel, from Guadeloupe, played college ball at Marist and professionally in France. Once a raw, lightly-recruited teenager, Gobert willed himself into one of the most dominant defenders in history through relentless development of his length and timing. He's a father to a son, Roméo, born in 2024.

His career has had its flashpoints — he was the first NBA player with a confirmed COVID-19 case in 2020, an episode that hastened the league's shutdown and for which he apologized and donated $500,000 — but his on-court identity is singular: an elite rim protector and rebounder whose presence lets Minnesota defend the paint and the perimeter at an elite level. His decade of double-double consistency rivals Nikola Jokić's.

PERSONALITY

The person

A historic defensive anchor — elite rim protection, rebounding, and a game-warping presence.

Elite rim protectorFour-time Defensive Player of the Year — tied for most in NBA history.
Rebounding machineA former rebounding leader with a decade-long double-double streak.
Defensive gravityDeters shots at the rim and lets teammates defend aggressively.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Defensive Anchor · Rim Protector
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
66/100
Scoring59
Playmaking39
Rebounding94
Perimeter D68
Rim protection88
Spacing35
Athleticism70
Clutch63
Elite rim protection4× DPOYRebounding anchor
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

A game-warping defensive anchor

Gobert's four Defensive Player of the Year awards — tied for the most ever — reflect a player who single-handedly changes how opponents attack. His 7-foot-9 wingspan deters shots at the rim, his rebounding fuels the defense, and his presence lets McDaniels and Minnesota's wings pressure the perimeter. He remains one of the best defensive players alive.

The offensive trade-off

Gobert offers little on-ball offense — he scores on dunks, putbacks, and rolls — and can be targeted in the playoffs when opponents pull him from the paint. But his efficiency (nearly 70% from the field), screening, and rebounding, plus elite defense, make him the interior foundation of a Conference Finals team, and his double-double consistency is historic.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267631.310.911.51.7.682

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

DPOYFour Defensive Player of the Year awards (2018, 2019, 2021, 2024) — tied for most all-time
All-DefensiveEighth All-Defensive First Team in 2026 — tied for second-most ever
ConsistencyA decade-long 30-plus-double-double streak, rivaling Nikola Jokić

Hardware

4×
Defensive Player of the Year
8×
All-Defensive First Team
2×
Olympic silver (France)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A historic defensive anchor — the rim-protecting foundation of Minnesota's elite defense.

On a three-year, $110 million extension, Gobert remains one of the best defensive players alive — a four-time DPOY whose rim protection and rebounding anchor a Conference Finals defense. His offensive limitations are real, but his defensive value is franchise-defining.

Rim protectionElite
ReboundingElite
Screening / rollingStrong
On-ball offenseLimited

Contract

Deal
3 yr / $110M signed 2024
Role
Defensive anchor rim protector
Age
33 veteran
Bottom line

One of the greatest defenders ever — a four-time DPOY still anchoring an elite defense. The rim-protecting foundation of Minnesota's contender.

FAQ

Quick answers

How many Defensive Player of the Year awards does Rudy Gobert have?

Four (2018, 2019, 2021, 2024) — tied with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most in NBA history.

Why is Rudy Gobert called 'The Stifle Tower'?

It's a play on the Eiffel Tower and his shot-blocking — he stifles offenses at the rim with a 7-foot-9 wingspan.

How did Rudy Gobert join the Timberwolves?

Minnesota acquired him from Utah in a July 2022 blockbuster trade involving multiple players and first-round picks.