Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert wins Defensive Player of the Year award
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert won his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award Tuesday night.
Gobert is the heart and soul of a Wolves defense that ranked first in defensive rating and points allowed per game in the regular season. He led the league in both defensive win shares and defensive rating and averaged 9.2 defensive rebounds and 2.1 steals a game.
"It's always a team award," Gobert said. "It's about being the best defense that you can be and for me it's about impacting my team to be the best defense they can be."
"An award like this, obviously it's an individual award, but it's only made possible with team success," Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said. "It's reflective of a wonderful coaching staff, wonderful organization and a lot of great people around Rudy."
The award comes, interestingly enough, just after the Wolves had possibly their finest defensive performance of the year without Gobert on the court. In game two of the Western Conference semifinals, the Wolves held the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets to just 80 points. MVP candidate Nikola Jokic had just 16 points and no Nuggets player topped 20. So stifling was the Minnesota defense that Jamal Murray was throwing things onto the court from the bench and head coach Michael Malone stormed into a ref's face to shout his displeasure.
Gobert missed the game due to the birth of his son.
"It was incredible," Gobert said. "I was talking with some of the guys, watching the game, I was exhausted, obviously watching the game, holding the baby and watching the game at the same time. But I had a little bit of emotions at the end because it felt like there was something special in their energy that they put in, the focus that they had, the determination. I don't know, there was something special with the way they came out, and not just the way they came out, the way they played for 48 minutes that night."
The surging Wolves have won six straight postseaon games. They lead the series with the Nuggets 2-0 and come home to Target Center for the next two matchups. Gobert will be back on the court for Friday's game.
"I think we obviously we're in the middle of trying to accompligh something bigger, but more importantly I think I found a home," Gobert said of coming to Minnesota. "I found a team, a coaching staff, an organiztion, a city that embraced me and a group that embraced me and I feel like I have a — it's like a family. We're all there for each other, we all really care about one another, we all want to see each other shine."
Gobert also won the award in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-2021. His four awards tie Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for the most all-time.
"Obviously two legends that are here. It's incredible," Gobert said. "When I won my first one I remember telling myself that I was hoping to win a lot of those and every time I win it I tell myself that I want to win it again."
Miami's Bam Adebayo and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama — the unanimous Rookie of the Year — were the other DPOY finalists.
The 31-year-old Gobert came to the Wolves via trade in 2022. He has two years left on his current contract, with a player option after next year.
