Rudy Gobert, highest paid French sportsman in history: the reasons for his contract

It is the opening of the NBA season in the United States.

And the player everyone is talking about is French.

Rudy Gobert signed a contract worth over $ 200 million with the Utah Jazz.

He became the highest paid French athlete in history and suffered many taunts.

For you, Virginie Phulpin, her salary of 33 million euros per year is enormous, but quite logical in fact. 

If we want to make the revolution and put down the sport business, why not, eh.

But in this case, it is the entire NBA that must be attacked, not Rudy Gobert's contract.

More seriously, the NBA has considerably increased its revenues in recent years, and this kind of huge contract ultimately only follows the growth of TV rights for American basketball in particular.

So yes, it makes sense.

But there are still taunts on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the United States, it seems that the fact that a Frenchman becomes the highest paid pivot in history is a crime of lese majesté.

In addition, Rudy Gobert lost a lot of credit in March, with his questionable jokes about the psychosis surrounding the Covid.

Two days later he tested positive and the NBA shut down.

There are fans who still consider him responsible for this lockdown today.

Maybe we'll calm down a bit.  

In France, we always have a problem talking about money.

Especially in times of crisis.

What, Rudy Gobert will have the same salary as Bernard Arnault?

It doesn't make sense, that kind of comparison.

And then apart from the enthusiasts, finally, the NBA, we do not master it that well.

We know big names, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Tony Parker… But we tell ourselves that Rudy Gobert is not one of those stars there.

Suddenly there are a lot of people who have the impression that the French has just made a robbery in his club.   

For you it's anything but a robbery.

Rudy Gobert is simply the best at the job, so it pays off, yes.

He doesn't score 30 points per game okay.

But he's not here for that.

Its pivotal role is first of all to defend.

And he was voted best defender in the championship two seasons in a row.

He is recognized by all his peers.

He's been at his club in Utah for 7 years.

So they don't make a bet out of nowhere, they know what to stand for.

Rudy Gobert saves his team, and he sells too.

It is his face that appears on all the ads broadcast in the room before the matches.

To win and sell, well that necessarily makes a big contract.

Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz have a common ambition: to win the NBA title.

Now is the time to show that if he has broad shoulders, it's not just to clean under the baskets, but also to resist the pressure.

If it does not succeed, we can criticize.

But not at the moment.