After phone call with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert says their relationship is getting better
Days after a report that the relationship between Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell “doesn't appear salvageable,” one of the players is saying they are working to, well, salvage it.
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Gobert told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks on Sunday that he has recently spoken to Mitchell and the pair are ready to compete together on the Jazz.
Rudy Gobert discusses relationship with Donovan Mitchell in wake of coronavirus
Snippet from the conversation with Rudy Gobert addressing media speculation about his relationship with Donovan Mitchell: pic.twitter.com/jQ8KaPEnZs
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) April 12, 2020
“It's true that we didn't speak for a while, but we spoke a few days ago.” Gobert said. “We're both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team.
“It's not about being unprofessional. You know, everyone has different relationships. It's never perfect. People that are married, it's never perfect. Me and my teammates, it's far from perfect, but at the end of the day we both want the same thing and it's winning. We're both grown men and we're both going to do what it takes to win.”
Yahoo Sports senior NBA insider Chris Haynes later reported that while there is still work to be done, the call was productive enough to be confident they can turn the page.
Sources: Both players had issues with one another stemming from the developments of the COVID-19 positive results that they ultimately recovered from. There’s more work to be done, but the chat is a good sign they’re working on turning the page. https://t.co/7q0LzjskEs
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 13, 2020
Gobert remains infamous for being the player whose positive coronavirus test precipitated the shutdown of the NBA — and basically all of North American sports. Following Gobert’s diagnosis, Mitchell and several other NBA players also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gobert’s reported carelessness before the test — touching teammates’ equipment and reporters’ recorders — led to a wave of criticism for not taking the virus more seriously.
Gobert has been nothing but apologetic since testing positive, urging the public not to repeat his mistakes and donating half a million dollars to coronavirus-related causes.
Mitchell himself said that it took some time for him to “cool off” toward Gobert, and the recent report indicated that there was still plenty more cooling off to do.
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