MY ACCOUNT
Rudy Gobert suggested he was willing to take any fights out of the NBA spotlight after a tussle with Myles Turner that saw the two big men ejected.
Utah Jazz center Gobert was involved in a scuffle with Indiana Pacers counterpart Turner on Thursday.
With Jazz team-mates Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles then entering the fray and also getting ejected, the Pacers closed out a 111-110 win.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong,” Turner said, but Gobert appeared to disagree as he criticised NBA officials for putting him in such situations.
“We know we aren’t going to fight,” said the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
“Guys need to stop acting like they’re going to fight, because they know that in two seconds there’s going to be like 20 security guards in between us. Okay, it’s cool for the cameras, but they know we aren’t going to fight.
“Guys that are not about that life need to stop acting like they are, because at some point I might have to stand up for myself – also if the officials keep doing like they’ve been doing over this season.
“There are a lot of guys who do way too much s***, and I have to keep my head cool. I do a lot of self-control.
“It’s actually funny, because my boxing coach was at the game. That’s the only time in a year that he came to the game. That’s funny.
“But they teach you how to keep your calm. If I don’t feel threatened, I’m not going to throw a punch and get suspended and hurt my team. I didn’t feel a threat at all, and I’m not going to fight on a basketball court.
“But if somebody wants to fight, I’m easy to reach, I’m really easy to reach. I’m just not going to do it on social media. If anyone’s got a problem, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, easy.”
Asked about Mitchell and Ingles also being ejected, Gobert replied with a smile: “I was surprised when I heard it, but then when I watched the video and saw what happened…”
