Every time Rudy Gobert wins the Defensive Player of the Year award, there is always an objection. From his incapacity to defend on the wing to his inability to close out games for his team, it seems like it's very easy to find a reason to question awarding him the NBA's top individual defensive player honor.

What is your rebuttal to the criticism some other players have said about you: you’re a great rim protector, but they say they can defend other positions better and that you’re not always playing

Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert is playing defense, but for a different reason than one may think. Gobert’s defensive stance is not on the basketball floor, but off the court. Gobert is firing back at critics who don’t agree with him being selected as NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.