Now that fans got a little glimpse of Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Summer League, France has been on everyone’s mind and people are trying to see how their favorite team is connected to Wembanyama’s home country.
For an easy start, just say “Rudy Gobert” and you’re all set. Gobert, born somewhere north of Paris, is connected to three out of the five teams in the northwest region of the NBA map.
Let’s check out the fill list.
Denver Nuggets
Denver was responsible for bringing Gobert to the league. He was drafted by the Nuggets, then traded to the Utah Jazz before the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season. Since he had no playing time for Denver, Evan Fournier would have to be the next popular connection. Fournier played two years for the Nuggets and was drafted the year before Gobert arrived.
Utah Jazz
Gobert’s career took off while he was in Utah. Known for his blocks, he earned the nickname “Stifle Tower” because of how it rhymed with Paris’ well-known landmark, the Eiffel Tower. He was also a reliable partner to Donovan Mitchell for five years. Mitchell made his mark on offense while Gobert did his work on the defensive side of the court. In the end, management had to break up the duo when the Jazz couldn’t find success in the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Gobert, after a trade, joined the Timberwolves before the start of the 2022-2023 season. It would have been nice to see him and Karl-Anthony Towns play together last season, but we all know that Towns missed too many games. Another stain for Minnesota last year was Gobert punching teammate Kyle Anderson during an argument. It was an act that earned him a one-game suspension.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Ousmane Dieng, born in the southwestern part of France, joined the Thunder last year. Originally drafted by the New York Knicks, Dieng was traded to Oklahoma City where he suited up for 39 games. Before his NBA career, the popular Frenchman was recruited by college teams but chose to play for the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League.
Portland Trail Blazers
Although the team just drafted Rayan Rupert, the most popular Frenchman to be associated with the Blazers so far has to be Nicolas Batum. Batum’s prime years in the league happened while he was a Trail Blazer. From 2008 to 2015, Batum was an all-around player who could fill up the box score with ease. After several years in Portland, Batum was sent to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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