Rudy Gobert made the decision to miss a playoff game to be present for the birth of his first child.
The now four-time Defensive Player of the Year missed the Minnesota Timberwolves' second-round game against the Denver Nuggets (Minnesota won), and sparked controversy.
Much of the controversy came from former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, who said the baby “is going to be asleep.”
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Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets during game two of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
Gobert heard all the noise and ignored it without much effort, saying that he had made that decision a long time ago.
“This is something I decided I was never going to miss in my life,” Gobert told FOX Sports. “I love this game. I dedicated my whole life to this game. But this is something that is above that. And it is being there for the birth of my son. I think everyone in this locker room understands that.”
Bad timing nearly caught up with Scottie Scheffler during the Masters, who said he wouldn't even think twice about leaving Augusta National if his wife gave birth during the tournament.
Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of the NBA game at the Footprint Center on March 29, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 107-100. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Fortunately, Scheffler's wife held on and he was able to win his second green jacket, both in the last three years.
His first child was born just a couple of weeks before the PGA Championship, where he was later arrested.
Gobert's T-Wolves, however, are now in trouble as they risk being swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. The Boston Celtics completed the sweep of the Indiana Pacers on Monday night to return to the NBA Finals.
Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Target Center on April 9, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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If the Wolves come back and win, it would be the first 3-0 comeback in NBA history. Ironically, his co-owner Alex Rodriguez was on the losing side the only time it happened in Major League Baseball, as he was with the New York Yankees in 2004.
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