Rudy Gobert of Minnesota was sent home in the middle of the Sunday game against the New Orleans Pelicans after a swing against Timberwolf teammate Kyle Anderson.
“We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter,” Timberwolf President Tim Connelly said, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. ” His behavior at the bank was unacceptable, and we’re going to deal with the situation internally.”
A heated discussion in the second quarter ended in a blow against Anderson.
In the NBA Countdown, the conflict began over a discussion in which Anderson Gobert said to block some shots, and Gobert told Anderson to turn back before he got any more intense from there.
Gobert was “escorted” after the accident and was sent home for the rest of the game, according to Timberwolf PR.
After the accident, Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star-Tribune shared a quote from Gobert that will be included in a next story about Anderson’s leadership. This gives an interesting insight into the relationship between the two.
“Kyle wants to win, and sometimes he’s a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don’t take it personally,” said Gobert. “I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place where I wanted me to be the best Rudy possible and we wanted us to win. I like his competitiveness, I love the way he plays. The way he improves the others around him. It was a big part of this year.”
Gobert arrived in Minnesota last summer in a blockade operation that will be disconnected for years to come because of the price the Timberwolves paid: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, four first-round champions (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and one first-round champion (2028).
They did so in the hope of entering the first echelon of the Western Conference, but the move did not work at all. After winning 46 games last season, there were 41 to 40 entries on Sunday and stuck at a point in the Play-In tournament. Injuries have played a role, to be fair, but even so, it is clear that this list configuration does not work to the extent that the front office had hoped for.
It is not clear at this stage whether Gobert will be punished further by the group. Their next game will be in Los Angeles to face the Lakers in the first round of the Play-In tournament. If the Timberwolves win the game, they get seed number one. Seven in the playoffs. If they lose, they will host the winner of No. 9 of the New Orleans Pelicans and No. 10 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in a playoff game for No. 8.
