Gobert Graces Forbes Cover After Becoming Highest Paid French Athlete
Apr 7, 2021, 1:37 PM | Updated: 1:53 pm
Rudy Gobert with the French National Team (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
(Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rudy Gobert has a new accolade to add to his already impressive resume — Forbes cover athlete. The Utah Jazz star will appear on the next cover of Forbes magazine released in France celebrating his contract extension with the team.
It’s a prestigious honor for Gobert who becomes one of only a handful of athletes to grace the cover of the magazine. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year joins French soccer stars Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann as athletes who have earned the distinction for the popular financial magazine.
“Thew new Forbes magazine number 14 is coming to your newsstand,” a translation of an Instagram post from the magazine read. “On the cover of the new magazine, Rudy Gobert, the highest-paid French athlete of all time.”
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In December, Gobert signed a five-year $205 million contract that will keep the two-time All-Star in Utah through the 2025-26 NBA season. It’s the largest contract the Jazz have ever awarded a player.
Despite the hefty price tag, Gobert’s contributions this season have made him well worth the investment. The All-NBA center leads the NBA in total plus-minus as the Jazz have outscored opponents by 518 points with Gobert on the floor this season. That’s more than 100 points ahead of the second league’s second-leading player, Jazz teammate Mike Conley.
The French star also leads the NBA in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus-Minus, anchors the Jazz third-ranked defense, is a pivotal force in the team’s second-ranked offense, and has been the most consistent performer on the best team in the NBA.
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) April 6, 2021
By the time Gobert’s newest contract expires he will have made over $307 million in earnings with the Jazz. To date, only LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett have surpassed the $300 million earnings threshold in the NBA.
