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Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves is one of the big All-Star snubs in the Western Conference. He has been the anchor of the Timberwolves' defense this season and is primed to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year. He recently joked about having another extra vacation and will talk about it in his "Hall of Fame speech."
Before the Timberwolves' game against the Orlando Magic on Friday, Gobert said that Towns called him after the All-Star reserves were announced. KAT was disappointed not to have his teammate get the acknowledgment he deserved, but Gobert was positive about it and had the sense of humor to joke about the snub.
"It's not the first time it happened for me and probably not the last time I get disrespected," Gobert said. "But I'm in a place now where I'm now where I always see the bigger picture. And once again, when you know your worth, you know what you bring to the table, all the external stuff is not that important.
"We were joking about it. We were talking about it and I said, 'At my Hall of Fame speech, I'll be able to joke about how many times I got to enjoy some extra vacation because I got snubbed for the All-Star Game.'"
Rudy Gobert has been the best defensive presence in the NBA this season, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to the best defense in the league. He's one of the reasons why they have the best record in the Western Conference and the second-best in the league.
However, only Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards were honored to become All-Stars this season. Gobert was one of several snubs in the West, along with De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Jamal Murray and Alperen Sengun.
How many times has Rudy Gobert been snubbed as an All-Star?
Rudy Gobert has been named an All-Star three times. His first All-Star nod was during the 2019-20 season, and he was also selected to be a reserve in 2021 and 2022. He had a down campaign last season in his first year in Minnesota but bounced back to have an All-Star-caliber in his second year.
It's not the first time that Gobert has been snubbed to be an All-Star. He should have been an All-Star at least two more times in 2017 and 2019. He had his breakout campaign in 2017, while 2019 was probably the best season of his career.
Gobert even cried in 2019 after learning that he did not make the All-Star team. It's one of the things that ignited the animosity between him and Draymond Green, who mocked his tears afterward.
