Rudy Gobert (Photo : Photo: Rick Bowmer AP)
It's amazing how a simple three-day weekend can turn the tables for a group of talented individuals; transforming them from a once-lowly squad full of neophytes to a promising team that now has the tools to rise above the competition.
Before the 2014-15 NBA All-Star, the Utah Jazz was one of the cellar dwellers in a tough Western Conference. The team compiled a measly 19-34 record and carried the label of being the fourth-worst defensive rating in the NBA.
By some kind of strange turn of events after the said annual festivities, opposing teams began seeing narrowed driving lanes, tightened hoops, and swatted basketballs out of nowhere.
In short, these teams had a shadow cast over their heads, in the presence of an imposing French tower fortified with a nine-foot, seven-inch standing reach.
His name: Rudy Gobert.
In a time when small-ball, drive-and-kick, and top-of-the-key-isolation basketball reigns supreme, defense seems to take a back seat and is relegated to the final minutes of a game.
This year, as the Utah Jazz prepares to weather the storm of a grueling 82-game season, the Stifle Tower - as he is fondly called - is helping his French national basketball team defend its fortress and qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
France is currently in the semi-finals of the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 where they'll face Olympic silver medalist Spain.
Throughout the tournament, Rudy Gobert has been one of the vital cogs of the French team. He's averaging 10.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 shot blocks in 21.4 minutes of action per contest.
These numbers, of course, pale in comparison to the impact he brings to the floor.
The Saint-Quentin native continued where he left off in the NBA, as has been altering shots inside, which in turn, sometimes leads to poor decisions and bad possessions.
He may not have the most muscular big man physique in the realms of the Dwight Howards or the DeAndre Jordans of the world, but Rudy Gobert brings impeccable timing along with a seven-foot, eight-and-a-half-inch wingspan.
This out-of-this-world length, combined with superb basketball IQ and limitless potential, creates a new dimension in today's brand of basketball.
For France and the Utah Jazz to reach their respective goals, Rudy Gobert must continue to find new doors and re-open an era where defense truly wins championships.
