Download
Rudy Gobert on Mitchell's departure from Jazz: He has a bright future
CGTN
Rudy Gobert (#27) and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz talk to each other in the game against the Phoenix Suns at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 8, 2022. /CFP

Rudy Gobert (#27) and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz talk to each other in the game against the Phoenix Suns at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 8, 2022. /CFP

Rudy Gobert, who was traded by the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the offseason, answered questions about the departure of his former Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell for the Cleveland Cavaliers in an interview with Eurohoops.

"I think he (Mitchell) has a bright future," Gobert said. "He's one of the best young players in his position. He's going to keep getting better. I think it's a great opportunity for him to just get to a new system, a new team and be able to show what he can do."

Gobert and Mitchell paired for five seasons in the Jazz, and the team never missed the playoffs during that time period. Mitchell was selected for the NBA All-Star Game three times. So was Gobert who also a four-time All-NBA Teams member and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Donovan Mitchell (#45) of the Utah Jazz penetrates in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 23, 2022. /CFP

Donovan Mitchell (#45) of the Utah Jazz penetrates in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 23, 2022. /CFP

However, the Jazz only went through the first round in the playoffs twice in those years. Their performances were often very different between the regular season and the postseason. The team are moving quickly toward a complete rebuild after trading Gobert and Mitchell for multiple future first-round draft picks.

"That's what Danny Ainge decided to do," Gobert said of the Jazz's transactions during this offseason. "Sometimes you always have to explore all different options. That's what they did. Time will tell if it was good or not. I think he definitely did a great job in getting as many assets as possible."

Gobert is currently with the French national team participating in the EuroBasket 2022 in Group B. Having beaten Lithuania and Hungary but losing to Germany, the team is currently fourth in the group. They have Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia to play. The top four teams of the group will be qualified for the knockout stage.

Rudy Gobert (#27) of France blocks a shot by Ignas Brazdeikis of Lithuania in the EuroBasket 2022 game in Cologne, Germany, September 3, 2022. /CFP

Rudy Gobert (#27) of France blocks a shot by Ignas Brazdeikis of Lithuania in the EuroBasket 2022 game in Cologne, Germany, September 3, 2022. /CFP

"I thought we started the game really slow and when we picked it up defensively the intensity and communication was great," Gobert said of France's performance at the tournament. "When we do that we are the team we want to be. And offensively we want to move the ball, play balanced basketball. Taking care of the ball was important."

"People look at numbers. In the NBA, there are more rebounds, points, possessions, everything. FIBA basketball is different it's about winning. For me, the greatest thing for a player is winning. Getting a medal like in the Olympics. And the goal is the medal this year too," he added.

Search Trends