Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert suggests NBA referees are match-fixing. What did he say?

While it’s not uncommon to see players saying and doing things they shouldn’t in the heat of the moment, it would be fair to say that the French star’s actions during Friday’s loss raised a few eyebrows. What happens now is likely nothing that he’s going to enjoy, but it appears he’s sparked a conversation and one that may yet see questions being asked.

Rudy Gobert implies something sinister about NBA referees

With the score standing at 97-96 in favor of the Minnesota Timberwolves and 30 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, T’wolves star Rudy Gobert committed his sixth and final foul of the night. As the Frenchman attempted to justify his cause in front of officials, he was then given a technical foul on account of making the money gesture toward the referees, essentially suggesting that they were receiving money in exchange for results i.e., match-fixing. Compounding the issue is the fact that the Timberwolves would go on to lose the game to the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-104 in overtime, while Gobert could do nothing more than watch from the bench.

So, what exactly happened, such that Gobert reacted in the way he did? The 31-year-old was seemingly angered after he was called for a foul during a tussle with the Cavs’ Jarrett Allen for an offensive rebound. As mentioned before, it was Gobert’s sixth foul which means even without the technical that he received, he would have had no choice but to watch the last 30 seconds of the game from the sidelines. Yet, Gobert clearly felt he had seen enough and so as he made his way around the court, he made the above-mentioned gesture which was subsequently noticed by official Natalie Sago, who immediately blew for the technical.

What did Rudy Gobert say about the referees and his actions?

Now, while one may think it’s much ado about nothing, the fact is that Gobert didn’t stop there. Speaking after the game, the former Utah Jazz big man went on to suggest that gambling was an issue in the NBA and moreover, that it was influencing the league’s referees.

“I’ll bite the bullet again,” Gobert told reporters. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll take the fine, but I think it’s hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.” To his credit, Gobert that he shouldn’t have reacted the way he did after being called for his sixth foul, however, he did not walk back on the gesture that earned him a technical. “My reaction, which I think is truth — it’s what I truly believe — even if it’s the truth, it wasn’t the time for me to react that way,” Gobert said afterward. “I should have not done that. I cost my team the game, and obviously, they couldn’t wait to give me a tech. That was bad. That was an immature reaction.”

To be clear, this is not the first time an NBA player has made the money gesture to suggest the referees were getting paid on the sly, and it probably won’t be the last. You may recall an incident that occurred back in March 2023, when Luka Doncic did the exact same thing during a loss to the Golden State Warriors, believing at the time that the referees intentionally missed a call. Then there was the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young who followed suit just last month during the team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls. You may recall that Young was given a $35,000 fine for his troubles which is to say, we can expect to see something similar in Gobert’s case. With that said, one has to wonder if there is anything truth to his comments.