Rudy Gobert Quotes

I like playing size per position defensively.

Basketball has turned into an offensive-minded situation. They don't play on both ends. They don't play defense.

Offence doesn't concern me. It's easier for people to get layups than it is to get stops on defence or a block.

My main improvement on defense has just been my coaches. They've been teaching me defensive schemes, how to guard guys, and how to use my length.

Defense, in the game, is something that I just really enjoy. Some people enjoy assisting the ball. Some people like to score, score, score, but to me the first thing that comes up is defense.

You don't cut anywhere, don't pick down anywhere, don't double screen, no weak side picking. All these things that should happen in a game of basketball don't happen anymore.

Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.

I had a vision of how basketball should be played. And the vision was the Knicks teams that won the championship in 1970 and 1973. I wanted a team that emphasized defense. I wanted a team that on offense had a system where players moved off the ball, and the ball moved.

I never watched TV because I was always doing a game. I didn't have any experience to be home watching games. I didn't know how to do it. Brent Musburger and those guys could sit and watch every game and know the scores. And I was amazed and said, 'I'd like to have something like that someday.'

Street basketball is all about shakes and fakes, crossing your defender up. The NBA is more strategic.

At first, I wanted to be a good player in the NBA. When I get to a team where you have one of the two best scorers in the league, I just said to myself that I needed to do something. I need to do something to help my team, something to make my name. That's where I started to focus on defense.

If you've got a big man who scores the ball, you've got to defend, and if you've got a shooter, you've got to pick and choose who you're going to defend.

I always felt defense was a big part of my game.

I was a guy that had a lot of tools and could do a lot of other things, but my main thing was controlling the defensive end of the court.

When there's pressure on the ball, you can go man-to-man on your striker; you've got the advantage because the ball pressure means it'll be a difficult pass to play.

A lot of people say you can't make the league if you can't play defense, so I really play really good defense. That's something I really pride myself on.

New York basketball is about defense.

I always felt like I'm a good one-on-one defensive player.

Once I feel like I know my teammates, know where everybody is going to be, being a basketball player will allow me to attack from anywhere on the court, get better shots and facilitate.

You're going to play me different if I have the ball, even if I'm at 75, 80 percent, just for the simple fact that you do not want me to make that three. That's helping my team out.

Back when I played, basketball was all about fundamentals, about hustling, getting those loose balls, all those rebounds under the basket. That equals up to 12, 14, 16 points. You can lose a game with that much. It's different watching basketball now. People don't play the same way. It doesn't matter if you score, if you can't stop the other team from scoring. Our coach used to kick our ass if we didn't. I was told if you saw more of the other team color under the basket than your own team color, you ain't doing your job. Everybody should be under the board, trying to get that ball.

The confidence level that Steph is playing with now, obviously, you won't totally stop him. If I'm playing against him right now, I think I'd try to pick him up full court, get the ball out of his hands, try to be a little physical.

I don't really pay attention to the guy I outwork for the rebound, it's really just hearing the crowd just be like, 'Ohhhhh.' They just get frustrated. That's a good feeling.

I don't like isolation play, unless you're in the low post.

I think there's a role for everybody. Even a guy who's not known as a scorer, like a DeAndre Jordan - he sets the best screens, he blocks the most shots, he gets the most rebounds, he's great for your team, he helps you win games. Like, he helps you win big.