Instant Replay: Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert Ejected For Tripping

SALT LAKE CITY – Former Utah Jazz and current Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert tripped a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and was ejected with a flagrant foul.

The T-Wolves hosted the Thunder at Target Center on Friday, November 4.

With 9:22 left in the second quarter, Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams made a layup with Gobert defending. Williams went down hard on the play and got tangled with a falling Gobert.

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The former Jazzman tripped Williams with an outstretched leg as the Thunder player was getting up from the hardwood.

Rudy Gobert was given a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game for tripping Kenrich Williams after this play.

Williams was given a technical. pic.twitter.com/iIqBS9NOuK

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 4, 2022

Gobert was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game for the trip. Williams was given a technical foul.

Oklahoma City owned a 38-31 lead after free throws by both teams following the play.

Rudy Gobert was ejected for kicking Kenrich Williams and tripping him 😳 pic.twitter.com/oCROiUhNk1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 4, 2022

Gobert had six points on 3-3 field goals before leaving the contest. He added four rebounds in nine minutes of action.

Minnesota’s game against Oklahoma City is broadcast on NBA League Pass.

About Rudy Gobert

Over the past six seasons, Gobert has established himself as one of the top big men in the NBA, one of the most decorated players in Jazz history, and has built what should be a Hall of Fame resume.

Since 2016, Gobert has been named to six consecutive All-Defensive first teams, he’s earned four All-NBA honors, three All-Star nods, and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

During the stretch, he averaged 14.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. He led the NBA in field goal percentage three of the six seasons, led the NBA in blocks per game in 2016-17, and led the league in rebounds per game last year.

Perhaps most impressive has been Gobert’s unique durability, having played in 90 percent of the Jazz’s games in four of the six games, and never playing fewer than 56 games during the stretch.

Lookin’ sharp. pic.twitter.com/3EXlo9kib9

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 3, 2022

After nine seasons with the Jazz, Gobert ranks in the top 10 among franchise players in multiple significant categories including games played (10th, 611), minutes played (7th, 18,301), field goals (10th, 2,796), free throws (5th, 2,000), offensive rebounds (2nd, 2023), defensive rebounds (2nd, 5,096), total rebounds (2nd, 7,119), blocked shots (3rd, 1,357), points (10th, 7,592), field goal percentage (1st, .653), rebounds per game (2nd, 11.7), blocks per game (2nd, 2.2), PER (3rd, 22.1), true shooting percentages (1st, .671), effective field goal percentage (1st, .653), offensive rebounding percentages (2nd, 12.6), defensive rebounding percentage (1st, 30.4), total rebounding percentages (1st, 21.7), block percentage (5th, 6.1), offensive rating (2nd, 127.4), offensive win shares (4th, 48.6), defensive win shares (4th, 37.9), total win shares (3rd, 86.6), win shares per 48 minutes (1st, .227), Box Plus/Minus (5th, 4.0), defensive Box Plus/Minus (5th, 2.2), and Value Over Replacement Player (5th, 27.8).

In a league where player movement is rabid, and loyalty is rarely rewarded, Gobert’s nine-year tenure with the Jazz was unique, and it’s safe to say he never mailed in a game.

The Jazz turned a huge page in their franchise history on Friday by sending Gobert to the Timberwolves, but his impact in Utah will not soon be forgotten.

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