Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert was understandably emotional following his team's opening-night victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.

Gobert, who was infamously the first NBA player who tested for COVID-19, expressed how thankful he was for the opportunity to take the floor again despite the circumstances.

“I'm just grateful,” Gobert told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Just grateful to be able to do what I love to do. After everything that I've personally and everything the world is going through right now, to be able to keep inspiring millions of kids around the world and keep spreading positivity is just a blessing.

“And it's great to start with a win, of course.”

Gobert was able to recover from the virus without issue, and has been able to carry on with his life in a normal manner since. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the thousands of other individuals across the world who lost their lives to this dreaded virus. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not taking any of this for granted.

The Frenchman showed very little signs of rust in the NBA's first game back following a four-month hiatus. The 7-foot-1 big man finished with 14 points (on 5-of-9 shooting), 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. He also sank the game-winning free-throws for the Jazz, as they fended off a formidable challenge from the Pelicans with a final score of 106-104.

There were whispers about how this Jazz team would fare in the restart after a troublesome hiatus. The much-publicized conflict between Rudy Gobert and teammate Donovan Mitchell appears to be a thing of the past now.

It seems like everything is bright and sunny in Utah again.