Why Rudy Gobert gained respect from Draymond over Kyle Anderson punch

Why Dray gained 'a little respect' for Gobert over Anderson punch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

After Draymond Green trolled Rudy Gobert on Twitter for punching his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Kyle Anderson on Sunday, the Warriors veteran forward further explained his take on the altercation.

“As far as the tap on the chest goes, quite frankly, there are just some words as men you just don’t say to men,” Green said on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show" podcast. “When I saw the choice of words, the b---h word that Kyle Anderson used toward Rudy Gobert, you do have to be ready with what comes with that. You’re just not allowed to disrespect guys and say what you want to say.

“Kyle Anderson uttered some words to Rudy Gobert that a lot of people think. He said it. He said what a lot of people think. I personally think Rudy Gobert’s a little on the softer side myself. He gained a little respect from me because he stood up for himself. I’ve never really seen the guy stand up for himself. Didn’t really know if the guy was capable of standing up for himself. He stood up for himself a bit.”

During a timeout in the New Orleans Pelicans-Timberwolves game Sunday afternoon, Gobert and Anderson got into a heated scuffle and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year struck Anderson in a team huddle.

The altercation started verbally with Anderson reportedly telling Gobert to, “Shut the f--k up, b---h,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, citing sources. The disagreement continued when Anderson, per Wojnarowski, told Gobert to block some shots and Gobert responded by telling Anderson to grab a rebound.

Then it got physical.

Anderson and Gobert eventually were separated but the yapping apparently didn’t stop. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the two continued their heated verbal exchange in the locker room at halftime, with Anderson telling Gobert, “I’ll knock your a-- out.”

Gobert reportedly was sent home in the middle of the game and later apologized for his actions on Twitter.

Also waiting on Twitter after the game was a friendly reminder from Green.

For those who don’t remember, Green’s message is in reference to a tweet Gobert sent out after Green and Warriors teammate Jordan Poole got into a scuffle of their own at practice back in October.

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“Insecurity is always loud,” Gobert posted on Twitter on Oct. 7.

While Green commends Gobert for defending himself, he knows better than anyone that that's not the way to go.

"Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work," Green said. "Take it from me. I know how that goes. Is it the right decision? Morally? That’s for you to decide, it depends on what your morals are. But in a team setting, you’re playing with a team, it’s the wrong decision."

The Timberwolves announced they suspended Gobert on Monday, keeping the three-time All-Star out of the Wolves-Los Angeles Lakers play-in game on Tuesday night.

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