Friday night will see Rudy Gobert play against his former team, the Utah Jazz, in Salt Lake City for the first time. The now-Minnesota Timberwolves center won three Defensive Player of the Year awards in his time with the Jazz as he helped them become a Western Conference powerhouse. That means it’s bound to be an emotional night for the Frenchman.
On Thursday, when Anthony Edwards — Minnesota’s best player and Gobert’s running mate — was asked about the gravitas of the center’s return to a city he spent almost a decade in, Edwards almost seemed to forget why the game on Friday was such a big deal. (This isn’t the first time there was potential awkwardness involving Edwards and Gobert.)
That or Edwards just had his mind on other things when someone asked him a loaded question about a teammate:
Anthony Edwards didn’t know why the Utah Jazz on Friday was a big game for Rudy Gobert 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/e6CcV8J0Rx
— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) December 8, 2022
You can practically see the moment it clicks in Edwards’ mind when the reporter clarifies their question. I find it highly unlikely Edwards actually forgot Gobert used to play for the Jazz (I mean, that’s impossible), so I’ll lean more toward “tired professional athlete was ready to go home for the day and understandably wasn’t listening to the question at first.” At least, that’s my theory!
Nonetheless, Edwards’ reaction upon realizing what he glossed over with Gobert’s Jazz return was hilarious. However, that’s nothing new for one of the funnier players in the NBA.