Rudy Gobert Calls Kyle Anderson's Return 'Huge' for Wolves' Culture

Veteran forward Kyle Anderson said his decision to come back to Minnesota was spurred on by his grandma telling him to sign with the Wolves following his buyout from the Grizzlies.

"Within those six, seven hours, I was on FaceTime with my grandmother and I asked her what I should do. She said Minnesota right away," said Anderson on the process of choosing to return to Minnesota. "So, I kind of knew it was right. My family is very excited that I signed back here."

The Timberwolves officially finalized Anderson's return to Minnesota on Monday, two years after his departure from the organization. Since leaving Minnesota following the 2023-24 season, Anderson has bounced around from the Warriors to the Heat to the Jazz and then to the Grizzlies.

"It was pretty cool," Anderson said about first hearing a return could happen. "Just knowing that Tim (Connelly) was reaching out as much as he was, and trying to get me back over here. Obviously, I've always wanted to be back over here. So, seeing the team do well and me feeling what I'm feeling, just happy to be back."

Speaking on SloMo's return, veteran center Rudy Gobert — who was teammates with Anderson during his initial stint in Minnesota from 2022 to 2024 — said "it's great" to have the veteran forward back in the squad.

"He's great," Gobert said. "I think he's a big part of what we do and he's going to help us. He's going to help us on and off the court. I think he's a smart player. He's a tough player. He's an unselfish player. He's also a winner. He's someone that really takes pride in winning. So, having him (back) is huge. It feels good getting Mike (Conley) and Kyle (back), trying to win a championship and having those guys, I think they're part of our culture. They're part of our DNA. So, they deserve to be a part of it."

Anderson will bring leadership, maturity, and toughness to the Wolves' bench as they look to make another deep run in the playoffs. Minnesota has been hot coming out of the All-Star break, winning four of their last five games. That's extended a run in which they won 7 of their final 10 games heading into the break. All in all, Minnesota has used the hot run of form to climb up the Western Conference standings, currently sitting in fourth place in the conference with 21 games left in the season.

When asked about what Anderson brings back to the Wolves' squad that they might have been missing the past two seasons, Gobert pointed to his passing.

"I think just passing the ball," said Gobert. "I'll be honest, like, I'll be straight up. Someone that is looking to pass the ball to his teammates. He's a connector. Someone that makes plays for his teammates."

"I think everyone in this locker room has a lot of respect for Kyle," added Gobert.

Split between the Jazz and Grizzlies, two teams in the cellar of the West, Anderson has averaged 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in just 24 games played this season. However, in a game at the start of the calendar year, Anderson dropped 22 points in 31 minutes of play for the Jazz, showing there is still gas left in the veteran forward's tank.

"He's very versatile," said Gobert when talking about Anderson's defensive play. "He's a smart defensive player and he can really disrupt. He has great hands. He's someone that takes pride in playing defense. He's not going to let people score. If he has to foul, he's going to foul. He's going to do whatever it takes to impact winning."

Anderson repeatedly expressed that it was "super cool" to be back and that he's excited to be part of a team competing to win. When asked why his grandma immediately chose Minnesota, Anderson admitted he wasn't entirely sure but that it wasn't just a stab in the dark, saying she knows her ball.

"I think she really loves Ant. She loves Naz," said Anderson. "She watches a lot of basketball though. So it's not just like a wild stab in the dark for her. Like, she's up watching games. You can go on the camera and watch what she's doing in the living room, and she's watching League Pass. She's locked in."