Rudy Gobert Takes Shot at Jazz After Nuggets Win First NBA Title
Shots have been fired. On the heels of the Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA championship, Ex-Utah Jazzman Rudy Gobert sent out a congratulations tweet that some are interpreting as an indirect jab at his former team.
“Happy for the Nuggets, beautiful Team basketball all year around. Failed over and over in the previous years, didn’t quit on their guys. And Nikola Jokic will finally get the respect he deserves," Gobert tweeted.
It feels like Gobert has had that tweet stored in his back pocket for some time now. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year may be a little scorned from when the Jazz front office cashed in its chips on a team that could never get past the second round of the NBA playoffs.
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the exchange with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Jazz are the clear-cut winners. Let’s revisit what Utah got in return for Gobert.
- 2023 first-round pick
- 2025 first-round pick
- 2026 pick swap
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2029 first-round pick
- Walker Kessler
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- Patrick Beverly
- Malik Beasley
Beverley was used to obtain Talen Horton-Tucker, while Beasley and Vanderbilt were parlayed into the Los Angeles Lakers' protected 2027 first-round pick. If we’re being honest, it has the potential to go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history.
Gobert finished his first year with Minnesota averaging 13.6 ppg while hauling in 11.6 rebounds. Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at, but they don't justify the assets that were sacrificed, only for Gobert to preside over a first-round exit from the playoffs. However, in the Timberwolves' defense, their team was riddled with injuries from start to finish which played a big role in the disappointing outcome.
That said, one tweet shouldn’t affect Salt Lake City’s love for a player that’s been a fan favorite since arriving back in 2013. My money is on the No. 27 jersey hanging in the rafters of the Delta Center at some point down the road.
Chalk it up as retribution for the crazy summer of 2022.
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