Basketball: Rudy Gobert third Frenchman in history selected for the NBA All-Star Game

French pivot Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz's number one defensive asset, has been selected to play the All-Star Game on February 16 in Chicago, becoming the third tricolor basketball player since Tony Parker and Joakim Noah to know this honor, announced on Thursday 30 January the NBA.

It is a consecration for the highest paid French sportsman, who could not hold back his tears when commenting on his non-selection for the 2019 edition, and who can savor having finally been considered at fair value. "Never stop chasing your dreams!", He tweeted after the announcement of his selection.

Very grateful to have to the opportunity to represent the @utahjazz in Chicago with my brother @spidadmitchell! Never stop chasing your dreams! 🔮 https://t.co/8d1O6tRMRu

For the past two seasons, Rudy Gobert has been named the top defender in the NBA. With his teammate Donovan Mitchell, also selected for the first time, he has a lot to do with the very good Jazz season, currently 4th in the Western Conference, in the fight with the Clippers and Denver, and behind the Lakers.

In 45 matches played this season, Rudy Gobert (2 m 15 and 108 kg) is making progress in several areas, notably in rebound, his strong point, with 14.6 catches on average and a shooting percentage of 68.6% for 15.7 points per game.

The 27-year-old giant "Gobzilla", who grew up in Saint-Quentin, in Aisne, succeeds Tony Parker, six times selected, and Joakim Noah, twice called. After three seasons disputed in Cholet, he was selected for the "draft", the mercato of the novices of the NBA, in 2013, and gave an American accent to his career.

A renewal of generations and a tribute to Kobe Bryant

The other players chosen in the West are Damian Lillard (Portland), Donovan Mitchell (Utah), Nikola Jokic (Denver), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans), Russell Westbrook (Houston), Chris Paul (Oklahoma City).

To the east were summoned Jimmy Butler (Miami), Kyle Lowry (Toronto), Ben Simmons (Philadelphia), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee), Jayson Tatum (Boston), Bam Adebayo (Miami), Domantas Sabonis (Indiana).

🌟 @ rudygobert27 🌟 # TakeNote pic.twitter.com/hn9X8JAVSX

These "replacements" are in addition to the ten incumbents already known for a week after the vote of the public, players and journalists. A list which includes in the West LeBron James (Lakers), Luka Doncic (Dallas), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Anthony Davis (Lakers), James Harden (Houston) and in the East Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Pascal Siakam (Toronto), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Kemba Walker (Boston), Trae Young (Atlanta).

February 6 will be known the compositions of "Team LeBron" and "Team Giannis", according to the choices in turn of James and Antetokounmpo, without taking into account the conference to which the players belong.

This 70th All-Star Game will see a renewal of generations since nine players will know their first selection: three directly from the incumbents, Doncic, Siakam and Young, and six from the substitutes, Gobert, Mitchell, Ingram, Adebayo, Tatum and Sabonis.

This year's big NBA basketball party will also be marked by multiple tributes to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died with daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday near Los Angeles.

With AFP

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