Timberwolves announcer slams Russell Westbrook for mocking Rudy Gobert
The NBA sure loves its pettiness, and the rivalry between Russell Westbrook and Rudy Gobert is one that best exemplifies it.
During Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, Westbrook openly mocked Gobert for air balling a pair of free throws, asking a fan to capture his reaction in real time.
“He’s shooting right now?” Westbrook could be heard asking on the bench with his back turned to Gobert.
Once Gobert air-balled for the second time from the charity stripe, Westbrook began jumping for joy.
“Two times, bro!” Westbrook gestured, signaling Gobert’s free throw woes. As expected, the fan-captured video went viral on social media.
Later in the night, during the waning seconds of the game, Westbrook had the opportunity to cut the Clippers’ deficit by two. He would miss the uncontested bunny at the rim. The missed layup gave T’Wolves announcers the perfect opportunity to get their shots in.
“Fitting!” exclaimed play-by-play man Michael Grady.
“That’s karma right there,” added Jim Petersen, the longtime announcer for Minnesota.
The petty rivalry between Westbrook and Gobert dates back years but truly intensified during the 2018 NBA playoffs, where Gobert’s Utah Jazz defeated Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. During Game 4 of that series, Westbrook was fined $10,000 and slapped a technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Gobert, who initially got into it with former OKC guard Raymond Felton. Since the incident, Westbrook has routinely tried to posterize Gobert at the rim, succeeding on several occasions, once as part of the Lakers in January 2022.
A playoff series between the Clippers and Timberwolves could be on the cards this year – provided both teams finish in their current seeds and advance to the second round. Wouldn’t that be a spicy affair?
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