• Silver medalist in Tokyo with the Blues, Rudy Gobert took advantage of a visit to Paris in early September to realize personal projects focused on youth.

  • Saturday, on the eve of his return to the United States, he spent an afternoon playing and discussing with some teenagers in a gymanse in the 17th arrondissement.

  • This is where we met him.

    The pivot of the Jazz, elected best defender in the NBA for the third time last season, explains the reasons for his engagement and reconsiders his attachment to the France team. 

Rudy Gobert has not been idle since the Olympics.

Silver medalist with the France team, the pivot of the Jazz, received at the Elysee Palace last week, took advantage of this enthusiasm to realize personal projects focused on youth.

After inaugurating a field and an academy in his name in Levallois, he spent an afternoon in the 17th arrondissement of Paris with twenty teenagers as part of a “Yop change the game” event on Saturday.

Moments that are particularly close to his heart, as the founder of the Rudy's Kids Foundation explained to us on this occasion.

What does this kind of day with young people mean to you?

It's important for me to give them back as much as possible.

Not only through charitable works, but also to give of my time, of my person.

I think that for them, seeing me in person, being able to ask me questions directly, it can really touch them.

I didn't have the chance to meet an NBA player when I was a teenager, but I know that when you meet someone who is an inspiration to you, that you hear him give you advice, it can change everything: your mentality, your way of thinking, even your life, quite simply.

Have you always had this awareness, or has it come as your career progressed?

The more you advance, the more you realize that basketball is not the most important thing.

Of course, this is the common thread in my life, what motivates me every day, but there are things that are even more essential.

Having a positive impact on the lives of other people, on the world in general, is stronger than how many points or how many dunks I'm going to put in at night.

I feel that I have a responsibility, and I don't want to let this opportunity pass to inspire young people everywhere, to help them if possible for their future.

We saw Evan Fournier rise to the niche for sports at school, going so far as to meet Jean-Michel Blanquer.

Are you talking about this commitment?

Of course, he's one of my best friends, we talk about everything.

We often have debates between us, we love to talk, we like to ask ourselves what we can do to make things happen, at our level.

It all comes down to the same thing, how to have a positive impact on society and the people around us.

What do these kids tell you about your silver medal, how much did it mark them?

It gives me great pleasure to speak with them because we really realize the value of this medal.

Of course we would have wanted gold, but in the end the most beautiful medal is to have made people vibrate, to have made them believe in us, even when we play the United States.

This was less the case a few years ago.

And then I think we showed great values, humility, collective.

There was no ego in this team, we were all there to help France win.

It was a sublime experience.

What brings you to this team?

We want to win, and we all know what to do about it.

And then we take pleasure.

We like to play with each other.

We know the group we have, how lucky we are, and when you have that, you don't want to miss opportunities to make history.

We have great chemistry, a good mix of youth and experience and we try to make each other better.

For the leaders, Evan (Fournier), Nando (De Colo), Nico (Batum), me, it's a pleasure to lead guys who are attentive, who are not afraid of anything.

It makes it really fun.

You've learned a lot from the Parker-Diaw generation.

How do you plan to pass on this French team culture?

For me, we transmit by example.

We are all different, some lead by words, others more by deeds.

The goal is always to integrate everyone, so that they understand why they are there.

It is always a pleasure for me when the youngest come to talk to me, ask me questions.

They want to try to understand what motivates me, how I got there, and I try to give them as much as possible so that they use my experience to reach their best level.

Is it harder and harder to free yourself to come and play with the Blues, because of your status in Utah?

It is true that if I were to injure myself, it would strongly impact my team.

My managers are aware of this, the staff of the France team is aware of it, and so am I.

Today there is a real relationship of trust, they know that I am doing what is necessary to take care of myself.

Sometimes there are injuries that you can't avoid, of course, but they know how important it is for me to represent my country.

We know that we take risks when we come to the France team, but that is priceless to be able to thrill young people, offer moments as we were able to do this summer.

In the France team, we don't play for money, just for our country, our families, and to win together.

⛓⛓⛓ #unleashed pic.twitter.com/36FTNzCgzh

- Rudy Gobert (@ rudygobert27) September 19, 2021

You were talking about taking care of yourself.

Even here in Paris, between two solicitations, you work out physically.

Is it an obligation for you?

The days when I don't do anything it's psychologically tough.

I tell myself that there are others who are working during this time and that I am losing ground.

Are there days during the year when you do nothing?

During the season not too much, even on the off days I will do weight training, massages, for me that's part of the recovery.

But it's true that I have a hard time, even when I'm on vacation.

I have to make the effort to convince myself that a day of doing nothing also allows my body and my mind to regenerate, to start afresh afterwards.

I cut only after the play-offs, or after the Olympics this summer, for 10 days, no more.

Well, afterwards, if I'm at the beach, I'm going to go for a run anyway

(laughs)

.

Sport

NBA: French Rudy Gobert, pivot of Utah Jazz, named best defender of the season for the third time

Sport

Basketball: Evan Fournier was received by Jean-Michel Blanquer to talk about sport at school

  • Rudy Gobert

  • Interview

  • Sport

  • Basketball

  • France Basketball Team