By Jared Weiss | The Athletic, 2026-05-04 10:00:46
明尼阿波利斯——鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 的目光在房间里游移，脑海中正搜寻着要给他的门徒发去的信息。今年1月，戈贝尔和他的明尼苏达森林狼队刚刚击败了圣安东尼奥马刺队以及他的门生维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)。
戈贝尔本可以拿比赛开玩笑，或者传授一些关于恢复健康的智慧，好让后者的竞技状态最终达到新高度。
但戈贝尔多年来一直在做这些。这一次，他给文班亚马提出了一个不同的挑战。
“问问他，如果没有计时器的‘救命’，他能不能在国际象棋上赢过我，”戈贝尔带着狡黠的微笑告诉《The Athletic》。
过去十年的法国篮球领军人物与NBA新晋绝世天才之间的关系植根于一段更深层的旅程。他们在场上互相挑战，但也乐于在场下互相督促。
几分钟后，文班亚马收到戈贝尔的信息时笑了，并回复说他期待未来能再次进行思想上的交锋。虽然文班亚马看棋盘的速度可能更快，但戈贝尔内心深处相信，只要时间充裕，他能赢过文班亚马。
现在，他们有时间了。整整七场比赛。他们的棋盘上有三分线，还有四节12分钟的比赛。
现任NBA年度最佳防守球员与联盟历史上获得该奖项次数最多的人相遇了。这位身高7英尺4英寸、正在重塑比赛的天才，对阵身高7英尺1英寸、精通防守之道的资深老将。这是一场接管比赛的球员与为这一时刻做好准备的大哥之间的较量。
“我喜欢尽我所能给他提供所需的一切，回答他所有的问题，”戈贝尔说，“（我）努力成为他最好的导师。”
文班亚马是马刺队22岁的MVP候选人，他将在周一的NBA季后赛次轮第一场对阵33岁的戈贝尔和森林狼队。戈贝尔是森林狼队演变为防守型球队的首要功臣。自2022年加盟以来，他一直是这支球队的脊梁，帮助球队连续三个赛季闯入第二轮，并正向连续第三次西部决赛发起冲击。
丹佛掘金队球星尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 在首轮给戈贝尔带来了巨大的考验，而他以优异的成绩通过了。现在，戈贝尔面临着一个不同但同样强大、且他再熟悉不过的对手。
“我们在第一轮面对了一支争冠球队。现在我们面对的是另一支，”戈贝尔告诉记者，“作为一名竞争者，我们还能要求什么呢？这就是我们每天牺牲和努力的目标。这是我从12岁起就在为之准备的事情。”
文班亚马知道他第一次对NBA总冠军的追求可能会经过那个帮助他来到这里的人。“如果对手是鲁迪，那会更有趣，”他说。戈贝尔称这一时刻对“法国篮球来说是了不起的”，也是梦想成真，因为法国的年轻人正从远方关注着这场比赛。
他们现在必须在一段有着近10年历史的故事中，亲手终结对方当前的篇章。
“他在球场上完全自由，而且他真的开始精通自己的技艺了，尽管他还有很大的成长空间，”戈贝尔谈到文班亚马时说，“看到他才22岁就已经精通技艺，这太神奇了。显然，我认为他的很多成长将体现在身体上。继续变得更强壮，更有韧性。”
戈贝尔与这种进化有很大关系。他记得在2017年举办的一场青少年篮球赛上，他们共同的经纪人杰里米·梅贾纳 (Jérémy Medjana) 介绍了年幼的维克托和他的母亲埃洛迪。起初，这位森林狼中锋并没有被文班亚马的身高（当时5英尺11英寸）所震撼，反而更被身高6英尺3英寸的埃洛迪所吸引。
随后，戈贝尔发现文班亚马当时只有13岁。
“你能感觉到他还是个孩子，而且会继续长高，”戈贝尔说。
从那时起，戈贝尔就一直关注着文班亚马。他会向梅贾纳和另一位经纪人布纳·恩迪亚耶 (Bouna Ndiaye) 询问这位年轻人的近况。他想在文班亚马准备好时和他一起进训练馆，向他展示在NBA镇守禁区的细微差别。三年后，他们在一场二对二训练中重逢，同行的还有法国中锋文森特·波伊里尔 (Vincent Poirier) 和马克西姆·雷诺 (Maxime Raynaud)。到那时，16岁的文班亚马已经比7英尺1英寸的戈贝尔还要高了。
网上有他们投篮的视频，但随后进入力量房时，文班亚马从戈贝尔身上学到了更多。他想看看戈贝尔是如何在保持灵活的同时，让那副瘦长、巨大的骨架变得强壮的。文班亚马正在接受关于职业寿命的实战教育。
“在那之后，我们成了朋友，我非常关注他的发展，”戈贝尔说，“我一直认为他和其他人有点不同。不仅是因为他的身体天赋，还因为他的心态。”
鲁迪·戈贝尔第一次见到维克托·文班亚马时，后者只有13岁。戈贝尔立刻意识到文班亚马与他人“有点不同”，“因为他的心态”。（Jamie Squire / Getty Images）
文班亚马早就知道，把自己练成大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 或乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 那样的体型并不适合自己。戈贝尔代表了一条可持续训练计划的道路，能够经受住NBA高强度的考验。戈贝尔可以教他关于挡拆角度、改变投篮轨迹以及防守的方方面面。
但文班亚马需要学习的是，一位经历过季后赛洗礼的老将，在这么多年后如何依然能单赛季出战70多场比赛。
“作为榜样，他在很多方面启发了我，我认为他应该启发更多人，”文班亚马本周表示，“在保养身体方面，他应该是所有大个子的榜样。”
戈贝尔以每天专注于瑜伽和冥想而闻名。他曾在2023年进行过一次为期64小时的黑暗静修，以专注于身心连接，这段旅程与文班亚马去年夏天前往少林寺的10天体验不谋而合。两人都在寻求不同的训练视角，同时渴望理解职业追求与自我意识之间的联系。
“我们有很多关于如何最大化身体潜能的对话，但它的深度远不止于此，”戈贝尔说，“它是（关于）如何最大化我们的精神和心理潜能，而维克托是一个非常有好奇心的孩子。”
为了让这种体型的身体移动得如此高效和流畅，像戈贝尔和文班亚马这样的球员需要与他们的双脚和核心建立更深层的联系，以帮助身体更均匀地分配力量。戈贝尔帮助文班亚马接受了本体感觉（proprioception）——身体的定向感——这有助于分散剧烈动作甚至过度伸展带来的压力。这就是为什么文班亚马即使在重心很低时也能保持平衡，并能以同体型球员从未实现过的方式改变方向。
戈贝尔经常与文班亚马交流如何磨练他所说的“超能力”。他们有一套细致的激活和恢复流程，进行各种形式的冥想和刺激训练，以确保身体的每个部位协调工作。戈贝尔赞扬了文班亚马对知识的渴求，事实证明这种渴求非常具体。
“几周前，他问我家里用的是哪种净水器，”戈贝尔上周告诉记者，“这足以说明他的思维方式。我试着和这里的年轻人谈论他们吃的食物之类的事情。但我从未被问过这种问题。”
他或许是开玩笑地说，他正“祈祷”安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 问他这类问题的那一天，并表示这些询问展示了文班亚马最大化身体机能的欲望是多么与众不同。
“他拥有伟大球员所具备的额外自律，并且付出了努力，”戈贝尔说，“他明白，显然，身体是关键，思想也是。他正努力掌握这两者。”
当文班亚马在2025年2月被诊断出肩膀有血栓时，戈贝尔主动联系并提供了支持和建议。他能感受到文班亚马因无法比赛或训练而产生的沮丧。他门徒的生活轨迹被按下了暂停键，在随后的日子里产生了一种茫然感。
“我记得他非常沮丧，因为不能上场，”戈贝尔说，“但他从那次经历中成长了很多，因为这让他意识到生活中没有什么是理所当然的。”
文班亚马从那次挫折中走出，对自己的职业生涯和公众形象有了全新的目标感。从枪支暴力到篮球伦理，他在各种事务上都变得敢于发声。他坦诚地谈论自己的希望和梦想，以及他如何应对起伏。当他流下眼泪时，他坚持自我，并不躲在“硬汉运动员”的陈词滥调背后。
As they prepare for the longest battle of their friendship, Gobert is most proud of who his protege has become.
在他们为这段友谊中最漫长的战斗做准备时，戈贝尔为他的门徒所取得的成就感到无比自豪。
“看到他是如此独一无二，这真的很神奇——不仅仅是身体上。他是一个特别的灵魂，一个特别的人，我真的很在乎（他），”戈贝尔说，“我真的努力支持他，显然，这远不止于篮球。我希望他好，身体健康。这是我真正关心的事。”
—— 乔恩·克劳琴斯基 (Jon Krawczynski) 对本文亦有贡献。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Rudy Gobert has mentored Victor Wembanyama for years. Now they stand in each other’s way
Rudy Gobert has mentored Victor Wembanyama for years. Now they stand in each other’s way
MINNEAPOLIS — Eyes darting around the room, Rudy Gobert is racking his brain for a message for his protege. Gobert and his Minnesota Timberwolves had just defeated the San Antonio Spurs and his mentee, Victor Wembanyama, in January.
Gobert could have talked trash about the game. He also could have imparted some wisdom on getting his health back so his game could finally reach the next level.
But Gobert has been doing that for years already. He had a different challenge for Wembanyama instead.
“Ask him if he can beat me at chess without the timer bailing him out,” Gobert told The Athletic with a sly grin.
The relationship between the face of French basketball for the past decade and the NBA’s new enfant terrible is rooted in a deeper journey. They challenge each other on the court, but they relish pushing each other off it.
Wembanyama laughed when he received Gobert’s message a few minutes later, replying by saying he looks forward to another meeting of the minds in the future. Though he may be able to read the board faster, Gobert believes somewhere, deep in his heart, he could beat Wembanyama with enough time.
Now they have it. Seven games of it. Their chessboard has a 3-point line and four 12-minute quarters.
The NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year meeting the man who has won the most of them in league history. The 7-foot-4 prodigy who is reshaping the game against the 7-foot-1 veteran who has mastered the skill of containing it. A meeting of the player taking over the game and the big brother who prepared him for this moment.
“I love trying to give him everything he needs, to answer all his questions,” Gobert said. “(I) try to be the best mentor I can be for him.”
Wembanyama, the Spurs’ 22-year-old MVP candidate, hosts the 33-year-old Gobert and the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the second round of the NBA playoffs on Monday. Gobert has been the person most responsible for the Timberwolves’ evolution into a defensive-minded team. From the moment he was acquired in 2022, he has served as the backbone of a team that has advanced to the second round for the third straight season and is gunning for its third consecutive Western Conference finals appearance.
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić presented an immense test for Gobert in the first round, one he passed with flying colors. Now Gobert faces a different, but no less imposing, opponent he knows all too well.
“We faced a contender in the first round. Now we face another contender,” Gobert told reporters. “As a competitor, what more can we ask for? That’s what we sacrifice for, we work for every single day. That’s what I’ve prepared myself for since I’m 12 years old.”
Wembanyama knew his first title pursuit in the NBA might go through the man who helped him get here. “It’s even more fun if we’re playing against Rudy,” he said. Gobert called it a moment that is “amazing for French basketball” and a dream come true as the youth of France watched the game from afar.
They now have to ruin each other’s current chapters in a story that is nearly 10 years in the making.
“He’s completely free on the court, and he’s really starting to master his craft, even though he still has a lot of growth upon him,” Gobert said of Wembanyama. “It’s pretty amazing to see that he’s (22), but also, he’s already mastering his craft. Obviously, I think a lot of the growth that he had is going to be physical. Keep getting stronger, keep being more resistant.”
Gobert has a lot to do with that evolution. He remembered hosting a children’s basketball tournament back in 2017 when their shared agent, Jérémy Medjana, introduced a young Victor and his mother, Elodie. At first, the Wolves center wasn’t struck by the size of Wembanyama — then 5-foot-11 — but more captivated by Elodie, who stands 6-foot-3.
Then, Gobert found out Wembanyama was only 13 years old.
“You could tell he was a baby and would keep growing,” Gobert said.
From that point, Gobert kept tabs on Wembanyama. He would check in with Medjana and co-agent Bouna Ndiaye for updates on the youngster. He wanted to get in the gym with Wembanyama when he was ready and show him the nuances of guarding the paint in the NBA. They reunited three years later for a two-on-two workout alongside French centers Vincent Poirier and Maxime Raynaud. By that point, the 16-year-old Wembanyama was already taller than the 7-foot-1 Gobert.
There are videos of them shooting hoops, but Wembanyama took away even more from Gobert when they hit the weight room afterwards. He wanted to see how Gobert managed to fill out his wiry, massive frame while staying nimble. Wembanyama was getting a hands-on education in longevity.
“After that, we became friends, and I was paying very close attention to his development,” Gobert said. “I always thought he was a little different than the other guys. Not only because of his physical tools, but because of his mindset.”
Rudy Gobert first met Victor Wembanyama when the latter was 13. Gobert immediately knew Wembanyama was “a little different” than others “because of his mindset.” (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Wembanyama has long known he would not be well served bulking up to look like David Robinson or Joel Embiid. Gobert represented a path toward a sustainable training program that could withstand the rigors of the NBA. Gobert could teach him everything about pick-and-roll angles, shot altering and every aspect of defense.
But Wembanyama needed to learn how a veteran of playoff battles still plays 70-plus games a season after all these years.
“As a role model, there’s lots of things that he’s inspired me and I think should inspire more people,” Wembanyama said this week. “In terms of taking care of your body, he should be a role model for all big men.”
Gobert is known for his daily focus on yoga and meditation. He once went on a 64-hour darkness retreat in 2023 to focus on his mind-body connection, a journey that parallels Wembanyama’s 10-day venture out to a Shaolin temple last summer. Both seek different perspectives on training while yearning to understand the connection between their career pursuits and their sense of self.
“We have so many conversations about how to maximize your physical potential, but it’s much deeper than that,” Gobert said. “It’s (about) how to maximize our spiritual and mental potential, and Victor is a very curious kid.”
To make a body of their size move with so much efficiency and fluidity, players like Gobert and Wembanyama need a deeper bond with their feet and core to help distribute effort more evenly throughout the body. Gobert helped Wembanyama embrace proprioception — the body’s sense of orientation — which helps spread the strain of forceful moves and even hyperextensions. It’s part of why Wembanyama can maintain balance even when he’s low to the groundand change direction in a way nobody near his size has ever achieved.
Gobert often speaks to Wembanyama about how to sharpen what he calls their “superpowers.” They have a meticulous process of activation and recovery, doing various forms of meditation and stimulus training to make sure every element of their body is working in concert. Gobert praises Wembanyama’s thirst for knowledge, which turned out to be quite literal.
“A few weeks ago, he asked me what kind of filter I have in my house for water,” Gobert told reporters last week. “It just tells you how his mind is. I try to talk to the young guys here about the food they eat and stuff like that. But I don’t get those kind of questions.”
He said, perhaps facetiously, that he is “praying” for the day that Anthony Edwards asks him those kinds of questions, saying how these types of inquiries show how Wembanyama’s desire to maximize his body is different.
“He has the extra discipline that the greats have, and he puts in the work,” Gobert said. “He understands that, obviously, his body is the key, and his mind. He’s really trying to master both.”
When Wembanyama was diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder in February 2025, Gobert reached out to offer support and guidance. He could feel the devastation coming from Wembanyama to not be able to play or train. The path of his protege’s life had been put on hold, creating a feeling of aimlessness in the immediate aftermath.
“I remember him being very frustrated, not being able to play,” Gobert said. “But he has grown so much from that experience, because it made him realize that nothing is granted in life.”
Wembanyama emerged from that setback with a refreshed sense of purpose in his career and his role as a public persona. He has become outspoken on everything from gun violence to basketball ethics. He is open about his hopes and dreams and how he deals with his ups and downs. He stands on business when he sheds a tear and doesn’t hide behind the tough athlete tropes.
As they prepare for the longest battle of their friendship, Gobert is most proud of who his protege has become.
“It’s pretty amazing to see that he’s one of a kind — and not just physically. He’s a special soul, a special person, and I really care about (him),” Gobert said. “I really try to be there for him and, obviously, it’s way beyond basketball. I want him to be good, be well. It’s something that I truly care about.”
— Jon Krawczynski contributed to this story.
By Jared Weiss, via The Athletic