The French Connection: Gobert, Wemby put their friendship on hold for the playoffs

ABOUT TWO HOURS after a vicious Victor Wembanyama right elbow clipped Naz Reid's jaw and completely altered the complexion of this second-round series between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves, a reporter asked Rudy Gobert for his perspective. Did Gobert believe, the question went, Minnesota's series-long physicality had frustrated Wembanyama into the flagrant? "I don't know," Gobert smirked. "Ask him." There's perhaps nobody better in the world to deliver a facsimile of Wembanyama's viewpoint than Gobert. At a sturdy 7-foot-1, the 13-year pro has long been frustrated about the level of contact allowed against him in the paint due to what he believes is his size advantage. Gobert also happens to have Wembanyama's ear and admiration. Gobert is one of the greatest French basketball players ever and, considering their shared position and similar stature, served as an exemplar for Wembanyama, who appears on track to become the greatest hooper in French history. "He's played a huge role in my journey," Wembanyama said before the series. "[He] has been a role model, has inspired me in so many ways that should actually inspire more people." But this current two-week stretch is the most inconvenient time in history to prod Gobert for some Wembanyama sympathy. The two are midway through a playoff clash that is tied up at 2-2 as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Tuesday's Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, NBC). Gobert is trying to break through the playoff ceiling before it's too late and win his first title, coming off a career-defining performance against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. But the teenager he once guided is in the way, swatting everything in sight. Wembanyama is trying to fast-forward his stampede to greatness, obsessed with piling up hardware as rapidly as possible. But his mentor is the lanky roadblock between him and that third-season dream. Gobert agreed to take ESPN inside his history with Wembanyama the morning of Game 3, pulling back the curtain on their lines of communication. The French big men share almost a decade of friendship, but their text message thread has been quiet for the past week. "Not right now," Gobert said. "[We talk] in regular times. We say 'hi' [on the court]. Our families see each other. But we are focused." Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, winning most recently in 2024. Victor Wembanyama took home the award this season, becoming the first unanimous winner. Photo by David Berding/Getty ImagesTHEY FIRST MET in summer 2017, as Gobert remembers it. He was at a youth tournament in France when Jérémy Medjana, their shared agent, walked in with a 13-year-old who was already creeping past 6-foot tall. "But, I mean, you see a lot of tall kids around," Gobert said. "I actually remember thinking his Mom was really tall." Wembanyama's mother, Elodie, is 6-3. His father, Felix, is 6-7. Over the next few years, from age 13 to 16, Victor blew past both, growing to 7-3. That's when video of a 2020 training session in Nanterre, France, surfaced. It included some 2-on-2 work -- Gobert and Vincent Poirier, the midprime French basketball legends, facing a pair of rising local teenagers: Wembanyama and Maxime Raynaud, who was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2025 and just finished a promising rookie season starting at center for them. "When I was 16, I would've loved to work out with some NBA players," Gobert said. "Especially the guys that play in my position." ESPN has you covered from the play-in tournament through the 2026 NBA Finals. • Bracket, schedule, news and highlights • Round 2 preview: What to watch • Kram: 10 lessons from Round 1 • 'Hoop Collective': Windhorst & Co. talk playoffs After the 2-on-2, which included skill flashes from Wembanyama but a stark difference in strength between an adult and teenager separated by 11 years in age, Gobert took Wembanyama and Raynaud to the weight room. He gave them a glimpse inside the fitness program that has allowed him to be so durable. "In terms of taking care of your body, he should be a model for all big men," Wembanyama said. Gobert calls Wembanyama a "little bit of a nerd," which makes them kindred spirits. Gobert said he grew up playing video games and exploring random hobbies. Wembanyama often reaches out to pick his brain. They share book recommendations. They play chess. But it's clear what Wembanyama takes most from Gobert is the ability to protect and preserve a gigantic body in a minefield of a profession. Gobert has played at least 70 games in eight separate seasons, averaging more than 30 minutes in his 905 career games. "It's everything," Gobert said. "You can be as talented as you want, but if you're not able to be on the floor, what's the point? You need the discipline to take care of your body. And when you're 7-feet and higher, you have more pressure on your joints, you're heavier. There's a lot more risk. So it requires a lot more invisible work that the averag

The French Connection: Gobert, Wemby put their friendship on hold for the playoffs

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