Friday night was a very special occasion for Rudy Gobert as it marked the first time he returned to his former stomping ground following his blockbuster offseason move to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Utah Jazz had nothing but love for their former star big man, and they showed their appreciation to him with a heartfelt tribute video during the game.

Gobert was seen waving to the adoring crowd after the Jazz's classy gesture. The homes fans were applauding loudly as they welcomed Gobert back with open arms:

Even before tip-off, the Jazz fans were already showing their love for their former star center:

Gobert spent the first nine years of his career in Utah after the Jazz selected him as the No. 27 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. It was a memorable stint in Utah for Gobert, to say the least, and it is with the Jazz that he established himself as one of the top big men in the NBA. This included three All-Star appearances, four All-NBA selections, six All-Defense call-ups, and of course, three Defensive Player of the Year titles.

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Despite the myriad of personal accolades he collected in Utah, however, the Jazz never really found ultimate success with Gobert and Donovan Mitchell as their cornerstone studs. The front office decided to blow it all up this summer, which was what led to Rudy Gobert taking his talents to Minnesota.

Gobert has seen a dip in his production with the Timberwolves so far this season, though. He is currently averaging 13.3 points on 64.1 percent shooting, to go along with 11.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 30.5 minutes per contest. Those obviously aren't bad numbers, but it's just not the Gobert we've been accustomed to, especially over the past few years.