Rudy Gobert on Apparent Punch: ‘Emotions Got the Best of Me’

The Minnesota center apologized for his outburst on Sunday.

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was sent home by the team from Sunday’s game against the Pelicans following an altercation with Kyle Anderson that turned physical.

After the game, which Minnesota rallied to win in his absence, Gobert released a statement on Twitter, apologizing to the fans, the organization and Anderson for his outburst.

“Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation, and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a teammate,” Gobert wrote in a message posted to his Twitter account. 

Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate.

— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) April 10, 2023

During a timeout in the first half Sunday, the pair appeared to get into a verbal dispute, which escalated when Gobert attempted to throw a punch at Anderson. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the altercation continued into the locker room during halftime, at which point Anderson told Gobert, “I’ll knock your a-- out.” 

Minnesota point guard Mike Conley told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Gobert sent his T-Wolves teammates an apology text in their group chat and that the team is planning to “move on” from the situation. 

The Timberwolves’ win Sunday saw them claim the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a spot in the play-in tournament, where they’ll face the Lakers. That game is scheduled for April 12, so the team will have a few days to iron out any inner turmoil.