Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch did not mince his words while discussing Rudy Gobert’s exclusion from the list of finalists for the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year award.
The finalists for the award were announced on Sunday on NBA Showtime, with Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson getting the nod. Discussing the list on Monday, Finch called Gobert’s exclusion “disrespectful.”
“It’s a joke that he wasn’t a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year,” Finch said. “Rudy all by himself is usually a top-five defense in the league. … I thought it was incredibly disrespectful. … He’s an outstanding defender … it’s just laughable, small-minded and petty – all the crap that people give Rudy.”
Victor Wembanyama became the first-ever unanimous winner of the award after getting 100 first-place votes. He also becomes the youngest recipient of the trophy at the age of 22. Meanwhile, Gobert finished fourth in the race with four second-place votes and 29 third-place votes.
Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner, earning the honor in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024. He has hit a slump in the voting over the last two seasons, finishing 13th in 2024-25 and fourth in 2025-26.
Former NBA All-Star lauds Rudy Gobert’s defense against Nikola Jokic after Defensive Player of the Year snub
Two-time NBA All-Star Eddie Johnson also weighed in on Rudy Gobert’s exclusion after he was snubbed from being a Defensive Player of the Year finalist this season.
After Wembanyama was announced as the unanimous winner, Johnson wrote a message on X, comparing the two, citing Gobert’s success in guarding Nikola Jokic.
“Context matters. On a day when Wemby won DPOY unanimously! Four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert did something Wemby can’t do yet. Shut down Jokic,” Johnson wrote.
Gobert played a key role in the Timberwolves Game 2 win against the Nuggets on Monday as he was primarily guarding Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP faced some struggles, especially from the perimeter, finishing with 24 points, shooting 8-for-20, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range.
According to ESPN, this was Jokic’s worst shooting performance in his playoff career against a single defender. Addressing his DPOY ranking after the game, Gobert said:
“Not the first time I’ve gotten disrespected, probably not the last. If you want to disrespect greatness, take it for granted, whatever, soon they’ll realize the impact.”
Gobert and Co. will look to grab the lead in Game 3, tipping off on Thursday.
Read More: Victor Wembanyama Makes Blunt Admission on Feeling Surprised If He Doesn’t Win Unanimously DPOY
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