Long before Victor Wembanyama became a household name, Rudy Gobert recognized his extraordinary potential.
When Wembanyama was just 13 years old, Gobert first learned about his fellow Frenchman. It didn’t take the veteran center long to recognize the massive talent in his young countryman. During their conversations, Wembanyama would seek guidance while Gobert provided mentorship.
“And the rest is history,” Gobert said.
The basketball community now understands what Gobert discovered years earlier. One French center will advance to the NBA’s Final Four in the coming weeks, with the outcome depending on the Western Conference semifinal battle between Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves. The series opens Monday evening in San Antonio.
“I’m very, very proud and I’m very excited to watch him grow every day, to see his work paying off,” Gobert said. “Outside of the talent, he’s someone that has a very unique soul, a very unique mind and nothing is an accident. It’s not an accident that he’s having the success that he’s having.”
While playoff series are never solely determined by individual matchups, it’s understandable why the Wembanyama versus Gobert storyline will capture significant attention during these games.
Many basketball enthusiasts likely first discovered Wembanyama through a viral video from six years ago showing a 2-on-2 game between him and Gobert. The opening moments featured Wembanyama scoring two jump shots over Gobert before breaking free for a slam dunk.
Today, Wembanyama stands as a defensive player of the year and MVP candidate, establishing himself as a genuine superstar. Despite his success, he continues seeking Gobert’s guidance, recently asking about the water filtration system Gobert uses at home. While seemingly minor, this demonstrates Wembanyama’s continued hunger for knowledge.
“He’s meant a lot as a role model,” Wembanyama said. “There’s lots of (ways) that he inspired me and I think he should inspire more people in terms of taking care of your body. He should be a model for all big men. So, I would say that’s the main thing.”
Minnesota aims to reach the Western Conference finals for the third straight year, while San Antonio seeks its first appearance since 2017. The Timberwolves managed to eliminate third-seeded Denver in the opening round, accomplishing this despite Donte DiVincenzo’s Achilles injury and Anthony Edwards’ knee problem.
DiVincenzo will miss the remainder of the playoffs, while Edwards faces a short-term absence with hopes of returning during this series. The Spurs refuse to underestimate Minnesota despite the depleted backcourt.
“They guard. They’re physical. They try to impose that will and impose their will and their competitiveness on you,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “And they’ve got a lot of individuals that take pride in that.”
During the regular season, Minnesota defeated San Antonio twice in three meetings, with Edwards playing a crucial role by averaging 36.7 points across those games while shooting 58% overall and 52% from three-point territory.
The Spurs managed only seven blocked shots against the Timberwolves, marking their lowest total against any Western Conference team this season. Although Wembanyama participated in just two of those three contests, this suggests Minnesota made smart shot selections.
“It’s going to be decisions that you make in the paint,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “It’s going to come down to them.”
The French centers have faced each other eight times during regular season play, with both players holding advantages in different areas.
Gobert’s teams have won six of those eight encounters. Wembanyama has reached 20 or more points in five of those meetings.
Oddsmakers heavily favor San Antonio in the series, listing them at minus-2000 odds, meaning a $100 bet would yield only $5 in profit.
Minnesota enters as significant underdogs at +950 odds, where a $100 wager would return $1,050.
This marks the 19th occasion since the current playoff format began in 1984 that a sixth seed has faced a second seed in conference semifinals.
Historical upsets in such scenarios include four instances: Indiana over New York 4-3 in 2024, Houston over Phoenix 4-3 in 1995, Chicago over New York 4-2 in 1989, and Phoenix over Utah 4-2 in 1984.
Beginning Sunday, Minneapolis could host either Timberwolves games or Minnesota Wild Stanley Cup playoff games on 10 of the following 11 days, assuming neither series ends in sweeps. The Wild are competing against Colorado in the Western semifinals.
The Minnesota teams play in separate venues, with the Wild based in St. Paul, but if both series extend to six games, both teams will host Game 6 contests on May 15.
