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It's been nearly two years since Rudy Gobert emerged as the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19. The moments that led up to the Utah Jazz star's infection were not exactly Gobert's best moments, and there are still some folks who believe that he was responsible for starting the COVID outbreak within his team.
At that time, Gobert had a very public spat with teammate Donovan Mitchell, who himself also tested positive shortly after Gobert did. Both men have already spoken about their dispute on multiple occasions and they have both said that they have put this issue to bed. Nevertheless, the issue just won't die. The media still continues to push the Gobert vs. Mitchell narrative in Utah as they/we take every opportunity to bring this matter up whenever possible and/or applicable.
In a recent interview on ESPN, Gobert addressed this issue yet again. According to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, this is nothing but noise:
“What are my thoughts? There’s always going to be noise,” Gobert said, via Malika Andres of ESPN. “There's a lot of teams and a lot of people that would love for us to break apart. They would love to get a Rudy Gobert or a Donovan Mitchell in their team. There's a lot of bigger markets too, that would love to get that.”
The supposed rift between Gobert and Mitchell came to the surface again after a shocking stat was revealed pertaining to how Mitchell makes an average of just three passes to Gobert per game. Mithcell admitted that he thought it was a “wild stat” but at the end of the day, this says nothing about their relationship:
“I make the right plays. I know I do,” Mitchell said. “… (Gobert and I) have the No. 1 pick and roll efficiency, so clearly we're doing something correct on the offensive side. Like, yeah, I missed big ‘fella in the paint late game. It happens. People make mistakes.”
Gobert echoed his teammate's thoughts. He understands how every move they make is continuously scrutinized. However, he remains steadfast that after all they've been through, they are more than capable of drowning out all the noise:
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“We're aware of that and we know that everything that happens with our team on the court, off the court is being looked at with a very big scope,” Gobert continued. “People are looking for anything they can find to just try and divide us. For us, after what we've been through over the last three years, the COVID situation and everything, we're both aware of that, and we both know that it's something that's not gonna stop. We gotta mute that noise. We both have the same goal to win a championship here and we gotta embrace the moments.”
Gobert was then asked about his own commitment to the Jazz. He signed a massive five-year extension in 2020 and he has every intention of playing out his deal in Utah:
“For sure, for sure,” Gobert responded. “I mean, we're here for a reason. It's easy to look at the past, look at the future, and what if, what that, but at the end of the day, we have an opportunity today and I think for us the most important thing to do is to embrace that.
“When the season is over, the season is over. It's the NBA. Nobody plays together for 20 years. We knows it's a business and we know how it works, but for us what's important is that supporting each other is the key, and be there for one another. It's never gonna be perfect. There is no team in the NBA where it's perfect. You know, it's the NBA. But when we share the same goal and we support each other, that's huge.”
Rudy Gobert spoke to @malika_andrews about his relationship with Donovan Mitchell:
“There’s always going to be noise. … People are looking for anything they can find to just try and divide us. … We both have the same goal to win a championship here.” pic.twitter.com/865ZlTmPps
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 7, 2022
What I'm getting from all this is that yes, Gobert and Mitchell are not exactly best friends. I wouldn't go as far as saying that there's a lingering animosity between them, but as Rudy said, “it's never gonna be perfect.”
It goes without saying that this postseason is going to be huge for the Jazz. Last year, after ending the regular season with the best record in the NBA, Utah failed to progress past the second round yet again. This squad has high hopes this season and another early exit could spell trouble for them. It wouldn't be absurd to say that the playoffs — and whatever happens after — will put the relationship between Gobert and Mitchell to the test.
