rudy-gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves’defensive anchor, Rudy Gobert, is often misunderstood in the NBA. As such, he’s frequently criticized by talking heads and so-called experts and even banged up by other players (we see you, Draymond).
But many fail to see the Frenchman’s humble beginnings and the obstacles he has had to overcome to get where he is today. In a recent piece he penned on The Player’s Tribune, Gobert shared a poignant memory from his childhood that still resonates with him today.
Mixed-race family
Gobert was born in Saint-Quentin, France, to a Black father named Rudy Bourgarel, who played professional basketball, and a white mother, Corinne Gobert. However, his parents separated when he was only three, and he lived with his mother in Saint-Quentin. Unfortunately, there was unease on his mother’s side of the family, especially during Christmas when they gathered for dinner.
While his mother’s two white children from a previous relationship were welcome to attend, Rudy was not.
“We don’t want that baby in our house,” Gobert recalled his relatives saying. “Some people didn’t want me around because of who I am. And not just people. My own people. Very close family, actually.”
“After I was born, certain relatives made it very clear to her that she wasn’t welcome to come to Christmas dinner if she brought me along. She could come on her own. But she couldn’t bring ‘that child,'” Rudy wrote.
Mom protected Rudy
As any mother would, Corrine shielded the man who would one day become “The Stifle Tower” from the negativity and discrimination of others. She made sure he never felt like an outsider in his own family.
“She told them, ‘If that’s the way you think, then you’re not going to see me anymore. Not at Christmas. Not ever. I don’t want anything to do with you,'” The three-time Defensive Player of the Year shared.
Long before Gobert made it big in the NBA, he shared that his mother was there for him and his siblings every step of the way, providing them with everything they needed despite their struggles.
“From day one, before I could protect myself, my mom was protecting me. The things she did for me and my siblings … it’s incredible. Financially, we didn’t have a lot,” the three-time All-Star revealed. “No matter what was going on, I always felt grateful and happy for everything I had.”
Rudy has been the epitome of toughness, on and off the court. Despite his resilience, media personality Skip Bayless continues to ridicule the 7-foot-2 center, even going as far as calling him a “fake tough guy.” Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce even surmised that nobody in the NBA is intimidated by the defensive whiz.
Talking heads and analysts can say what they want of Gobert, but his journey from France to the NBA speaks much louder about his grit and determination. And he can undoubtedly credit a lot of that to his mother.
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