Dwight Howard Shades Rudy Gobert: 'I Don't Think He Deserved' NBA DPOY Awards

Former NBA superstar Dwight Howard expressed his belief Thursday that Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert's play does not necessarily merit his status as a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

During an appearance on Gil's Arena with former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas, Howard gave his take on Gobert and his decorated career thus far:

"I never wanna say nothing negative about any players, but I don't think he deserved those Defensive Player of the Years like he got them. I feel like he's a great team defender, but for what he did to get those Defensive Player of the Years, I don't see it. I don't see him being an elite defender.

"I see him as somebody who has the size. He's 7'2". So when you 7'2" and you're playing with athletic guys, you don't have to do nothing but clean up their mistakes or just be big in the paint. It's really hard to say that he is an elite defender to have four Defensive Player of the Year awards."

Gobert spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, taking NBA DPOY honors in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Utah then dealt the 32-year-old veteran to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade prior to the 2022-23 season.

His first season with the T-Wolves was a disappointment, as his 13.4 points per game were his lowest since 2015-16 and his 1.4 blocks per game were his fewest since his rookie year in 2013-14.

The Frenchman bounced back in a big way last season, though, averaging 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest for a Timberwolves team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Howard gave Gobert credit for his defensive play in 2023-24, suggesting it may have been the first time he was truly deserving of being called Defensive Player of the Year, saying: "This year, he was actually up in the pick and rolls. He was moving his feet. He was talking more and he was actually being aggressive. The years before that, I think they just gave [DPOY] to him because of his team defense."

The 38-year-old Howard knows a thing or two about top-flight defensive play, as he was a three-time DPOY, five-time rebounding champion and two-time blocks champion in 18 NBA seasons, primarily with the Orlando Magic.