NBA news: Those close to Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert claim that a remark he made about the Phoenix Suns and player Devin Booker in January. Read the article for this NBA News.
He said that it was misinterpreted as a dig at teammate Donovan Mitchell.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Gobert said the following on Utah’s title chances. And what he believes differentiates championship-calibre teams from the Jazz:
“We know that when the playoffs arrive. We’re not going to turn on a switch and suddenly be able to communicate, stay in front of our man, and rebound.” When I watch other teams, such as the Suns or the Warriors, I notice that they have a step up on us in terms of winning habits. They seem to take each game quite seriously.
“You can see Devin Booker is putting in a lot of effort on defense. I’ve been keeping an eye on him in comparison to, say, two years ago. Guys like that buy-in, and it’s clear that they like playing defense, stopping their guy, and doing all they can defensively to keep the opposing team at bay and contribute to a winning culture.”
NBA News: Gobert never said Mitchell’s name
According to MacMahon, Gobert’s remarks “made some within Mitchell’s inner circle seethe” because he “violated locker room conventions by openly pointing a finger at his teammate.”
Gobert never said Mitchell’s name. But it was widely assumed that he was addressing Mitchell because he and Booker share the same position.
Several Jazz players expressed their views regarding Gobert’s statements and the significance behind them in the aftermath of his remarks.
Mitchell, for one, took no offense in public, saying: “It doesn’t bother me in the least. At the end of the day, we must all strive for improvement. That’s all there is to it. Meanwhile, each have our own way of doing things, and he happens to be this way. So, that’s cool.”
Royce O’Neale, a forward with the Jazz, said: “Anything [Gobert] says isn’t meant to be hurtful. However, you are not obligated to make those remarks [to the media].”
“It ain’t like [Gobert] singled out a big dude or nothing,” guard Jordan Clarkson later said, fueling speculation that Gobert was aiming a shot at Mitchell.
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