Rudy Gobert became public enemy number one in the NBA last March as he single-handedly put an end to the season, prior to the bubble reboot. Gobert was the first NBA star to be diagnosed with COVID-19 and his positive test came after a couple of days of mocking the virus and even purposely touching the microphones of various NBA media members. He even got Donovan Mitchell infected, which supposedly led to a bit of a rift between the two stars.
Now, Gobert has a five-year, $205 million deal with the Utah Jazz and it seems like everything has resolved itself. Regardless, ESPN recently spoke to Gobert about everything that has happened over the past nine months and how they have affected his life. When asked about the infamous scene in the media room, Gobert revealed what he was trying to do, while also explaining how he regrets it now.
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"That it came from a good intention," Gobert explained. "It was the first day that we found out that the media was not going to be able to interview us, right next to us, and, you know, we obviously didn't know as much as we know now, and I only did that to try to liven the mood a little bit. It was, of course, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't do it."
Last night, Gobert had a huge season opener with the Jazz as he scored 20 points and notched 17 rebounds. The Jazz were also able to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers by a score of 120-100, which is definitely a nice way to start the year. Perhaps now, Gobert and the Jazz could be in for a darkhorse season.
[Via]