For several years, Rudy Gobert has acted as Victor Wembanyama’s coach. However, today, these two men have found themselves standing on opposite sides. After defeating Victor’s team San Antonio Spurs, Gobert tried to think of something appropriate to say to his former apprentice. Instead of telling him how much he has improved during the recent months or congratulating himself on the success and wishing Victor to become healthier in the future, Gobert challenged the younger man to play chess with him and not use a timer.
This bond goes beyond simple coaching relationships. Being the ambassador of the French basketball and an NBA player, Gobert and Wembanyama constantly motivate each other. Hearing the news, the young French player smiled and assured the older man that he is looking forward to seeing him again on the board. Even though Wembanyama is quite smart and quickly understands the game, Gobert feels confident that, with enough time, he will win.
Rudy Gobert’s Way of Mentoring
Today, their relationship moves to a different level, where they will face each other in seven Rudy Gobert games played during four periods with a three-point line. This clash can be seen as a confrontation of two of the best defenders and the current leader for the title of the best defender. On one side, there is a promising young Frenchman that changed the whole game, and on the other side, there is a veteran with vast experience of dominating it. Their encounter is the result of long-standing mentor relations, where the teacher faces his best student on the battlefield.
It is a huge honor and a source of pride for Gobert to assist Wembanyama in answering all his questions. At the same time, today, Wembanyama, who became a strong MVP candidate in San Antonio, will welcome his teacher and Gobert with his team Minnesota Timberwolves. Gobert was essential to changing Minnesota into a defensive-minded organization. As a result, they reached the second playoff round for the third consecutive year.
Having already successfully coped with such a tough task as facing Nikola Jokić from Denver Nuggets in the first round, today, Gobert will face his protégé, which adds particular meaning to the event for both of the players. Gobert says that Wembanyama admitted that it adds excitement to play against him, and Gobert considers this game as a special one in the context of French basketball.
Unfortunately, only one can proceed further to fight for a bigger prize. However, the journey they both have had, lasting nine years, has led them to such a place where now each needs to destroy the other to continue advancing in this game.
Rudy Gobert is amazed by how much Wembanyama has improved throughout all these years, noting especially his freedom of actions and mastering of skills. However, much of his further development, according to Gobert, will depend on physical training, as Wembanyama is still young. In many ways, Gobert can take responsibility for such a process of evolution of Wembanyama.
Rudy Gobert got to know Wembanyama in 2017 when the latter was only 13 years old at a youth basketball tournament. Although, initially, Gobert was fascinated by the tallness of Wembanyama’s mom, the former immediately noticed the boy’s potential. During the next few years, Gobert paid attention to him and finally trained him and gave him useful tips on defense, physical fitness, and career longevity.
Victor found it necessary to follow the example of Gobert regarding the way of maintaining health and avoiding becoming overweight. All of Gobert’s practices, including yoga, meditation, darkness retreat, have inspired Wembanyama to do something similar for himself. The lessons of Gobert were quite diverse, ranging from basketball to ways to achieve maximum physical and mental potential.
One of such things is body control and flexibility that Gobert helped the younger player to cultivate despite his considerable dimensions. They talked about refining all their natural “superpowers” before using them in a Rudy Gobert game. The curiosity of Wembanyama surprised Gobert, as the former constantly asked about nutrition and lifestyle, something rarely done by young players.
During one of his visits to Paris when Wembanyama faced blood clots that prevented him from playing, Gobert felt sorry for the boy. Such an episode has contributed significantly to his maturing process, as Victor understood how precious the Rudy Gobert game is.
Later, Wembanyama became a different person and started talking about various important topics and not only about victories but also losses. Today, they will have to face each other in the playoff series, but, as Rudy Gobert says, he is impressed by the personality of this young player.
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