Rudy GOBERT

Rudy Gobert was born on June 26, 1992, in Saint-Quentin, France. He is the son of Corinne Gobert and Rudy Bourgarel, a former French international basketball player. He started the sport at 11 in his hometown at the JSC Saint-Quentin club before moving to local powerhouse Cholet Basket Espoirs, where he made his professional debut at 19.

In the 2012-2013 season, Gobert led the French Pro A league in blocked shots with an average of 1.7 per game. His outstanding performance caught the attention of NBA scouts, and he was selected as the 27th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in 2013 before being traded to the Utah Jazz on draft night.

Standing at an imposing 2.16m (7 feet 1 inch) tall, the Frenchman became a defensive anchor for the Jazz, earning the nickname "The Stifle Tower" for his shot-blocking abilities. Throughout his nine-year stint with the Jazz, Gobert's defensive prowess was recognised with three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. He is a four-time All-NBA Team member (once on the Second Team and three times on the Third Team), a six-time All-Defensive First Team member, and a three-time NBA All-Star.