NBA Star Rudy Gobert Apologizes After Punching Teammate Mid-Game: 'Emotions Got The Best of Me'

The Timberwolves players had to be separated by teammates and coaches during the second quarter of their game on Sunday

Tensions were high on the Minnesota Timberwolves bench on Sunday night as the team pulled out a win during their final game of the NBA regular season — but dealt with infighting.

During the second quarter of their game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wolves starting center Rudy Gobert and power forward Kyle Anderson got into a heated altercation on the sidelines.

As the two players exchanged words, Gobert, 30, swung his fist at Anderson, 29, but fell short on the attempt. Teammates and coaches quickly separated the two Wolves stars, but the team ultimately decided Gobert's night was finished after the punch.

Gobert was escorted back to the team's locker room and did not return to the game.

"We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter," Minnesota President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski after the incident.

Connelly said Gobert's "behavior on the bench was unacceptable" and confirmed that the organization would "handle the situation internally" moving forward.

According to Wojnarowski, sources who saw the exchange between the teammates said the disagreement "started with Anderson telling Gobert to block some shots" and Gobert "telling him to grab a rebound."

The feud spilled over into the locker room at halftime, too. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Anderson and Gobert "confronted each other" after they had to be separated on the sidelines.

Multiple sources in the locker room told Charania that Anderson threatened Gobert at one point, telling him he'd "knock his a-- out" before the two had to be separated another time.

Related:Draymond Green Apologizes After Punching Golden State Warriors Teammate Jordan Poole During Practice

After the game, which the Timberwolves won despite the team's poor chemistry, Gobert apologized to his teammates and fans in a tweet.

"Emotions got the best of me today," Gobert wrote. "I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a teammate."

Gobert also apologized directly to his teammates in a team group chat, according to ESPN.

Head coach Chris Finch said the team is "not proud of that behavior by anybody" after the game. "We really haven't dug too far into the root cause of it. But guys were frustrated," he explained.

Finch said the team's poor play during a game that would determine their final seeding for the season led to the frustration. "We weren't playing well and weren't sharing the ball. We were getting beat in all the little areas," Finch said, per The Athletic.

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In an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune just one day before the scuffle, Gobert spoke candidly about his relationship with Anderson.

"Kyle wants to win, and sometimes he's a little aggressive in the way he talks," Gobert said.

The French basketball star said he doesn't "take it personally" when his teammate speaks to him and even praised Anderson for being "a huge part of" the team's success this season. "I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game," Gobert said.

Their win on Sunday secured the Timberwolves a spot in the NBA's competitive play-in tournament, where they'll face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday for a chance to advance to the playoffs.

Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves before the 2022-23 season started after a frustrating stint with the Utah Jazz. He is an all-star caliber center in the NBA, but rumors of tension between him and former Jazz star Donovan Mitchell ultimately forced the organization to part ways with both players.

Related:Rudy Gobert Purposefully Touched Reporters' Microphones 2 Days Before Testing Positive for Coronavirus

Punching Anderson on Sunday wasn't the first time Gobert has been under fire for poor decision-making.

In 2020, Gobert was the player who ultimately forced a league shutdown after he mocked the league's cautiousness about the COVID-19 virus.

In a video that surfaced on social media, Gobert can be seen getting up from his seat after an interview. As he begins to leave the room, the athlete turns around to wipe his hands on the mouthpiece of several microphones attached to a podium before leaving the room. He then tested positive for COVID-19 two days later.

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