J
Jasen Lee
Guest
SALT LAKE CITY — For Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the journey to basketball stardom has been one of adjustment made by a man with specific goals in mind on a journey spanning thousands of miles and years of dedication. Since leaving his native France to chase his NBA dreams over six years ago, he has gone from a determined young man finding his way to a man of maturity that knows exactly the direction he is heading.
When Gobert first arrived to Utah after signing with the Jazz in the summer of 2013 after being acquired from the Denver Nuggets in a draft-day trade, being on foreign soil some 5,200 miles from home was not a major issue. He said being away from home had become familiar ever since he began his basketball odyssey as a teenager.
“It was so much easier for me,” he said. “I think it’s mental. When you know what you want, you know where you want to go.
“I’ve been away from my family even when I was in France. So I was used to that,” he continued. “It was the same when I was five hours away or across the ocean, it didn’t feel that different to me.
“I was used to, since a very young age, being focused on my goals and be away from my family so it wasn’t very hard for me to be far from my country (since I) already felt comfortable.”
Interestingly, Gobert didn’t necessarily rely on others to navigate his new surroundings, but rather accepted assistance only when needed, relying instead on his natural ability to adjust to new situations.
“I really didn’t even need to ask anybody for help,” Gobert explained. “I’m good in my head. When you know where you want to go, you’re mentally tough. You know, I was very happy wherever I was.”
Now, starting his seventh season in the NBA, Gobert has gone from a young man adjusting to a new country in a new job to a person who is very comfortable in his own skin and his role as a leader with the Jazz.
“It comes with experience. The more you see, the more you know, the more you feel like you can help others and the more you feel like you can help the team win. So you talk more and you’re a little more present,” he said.
Gobert said he thinks of himself as more of a leader, but a person who can also follow when the situation warrants.
“When you really want to win, you naturally lead others because of the experience I have in the few years I’ve been in league and especially with this team and this program,” he said. “We have a lot of new guys so I definitely felt like it’s my role to try to, not just lead with attitude but whatever information I can give (the team) to have them get something quicker.”
Jazz coach Quin Snyder said he believes Gobert is driven to become a better player and a better teammate.
“I think Rudy really, really wants to be good in a lot of different areas,” he said. “He’s continued to learn about himself and where he can be really effective and still continuing to grow as a player. He’s got a tremendous amount of pride.”
Snyder said Gobert used summer competition like the FIBA World Basketball Championships to improve as a player and a team leader.
“Those things have helped him grow as a player being in different environments and understanding how he can help a team,” Snyder said. “One of the biggest things for him right now is how he’s interacting and connecting both offensively and defensively with some of our new newer guys.”
Donovan Mitchell said Gobert is a true competitor who helps the team in so many ways.
“That’s the biggest thing we all see. He wants to go out there and win and compete,” Mitchell said. “That’s one thing we all respect. He’s the anchor. He’s what we build our defense around.”
“He’s the Defensive Player of the Year, so he sees a lot of things and he’s communicating with us and the best thing about him is that not only does he instruct but he receives criticism as well,” Mitchell added. “That’s the biggest thing when a leader can listen and receive and then also adapt to that thing — It’s pretty special.”
Off the court, Mitchell said Gobert also has a different side that’s easy to relate to.
“He’s funny. He is a ‘class clown.’ That’s like the opposite of what you see on the floor and I think and that’s what makes it special because we all know he’s like a kid and I think that just makes it a lot more fun for us,” Mitchell said.
Meanwhile, Gobert wants to continue to improve his game on the court and maintain a positive influence in the locker room in the years to come as he moves ahead in his career as well as outside of basketball.
“Whatever you do in life, there’s always a learning process. I was very happy to have the opportunity to come here. It’s been great, great journey,” he said. “I’m trying to keep learning every day, from every experience, whether it’s on the court or off the court.”
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