“Legacy”: Rudy Gobert and girlfriend Julia Bonilla await new addition to their family in Instagram reveal
Amid the final day of the 2024 NBA All-Star break, Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert announced his girlfriend Julia Bonilla’s pregnancy.
In a Wednesday Instagram post, Gobert shared pictures from the couple's recent vacation featuring Bonilla’s baby bump. In the first photo, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year can be seen palming Bonilla’s stomach with one of his massive hands.
Gobert simply captioned his post, “Legacy.” Many of his former teammates, including the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Austin Rivers, Derrick Favors and Trey Lyles, subsequently congratulated him in the comments section.
Meanwhile, Bonilla shared a similar IG carousel showcasing her with her baby bump on the beach with Gobert, captioning her post, “The better half of us.”
Gobert, 31, is one of the NBA’s more private stars. So, not much is known about his personal life. However, like Gobert, Bonilla reportedly hails from France. She has also been spotted courtside at Timberwolves games this season and she and Gobert spent the Christmas holidays together in Minnesota.
The couple’s pregnancy marks their first child. However, no due date has been announced yet.
Gobert was notably snubbed from the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which took place on Sunday. However, it appears that he made good use of his vacation time and still ended up a winner of the All-Star break.
Also Read: “Congratulations brother !!”: Donovan Mitchell, Austin Rivers and other NBA players sing praise of Rudy Gobert’s soon-to-be father news
Rudy Gobert’s first child announcement comes amid another DPOY-caliber season
Rudy Gobert’s announcement of his first child comes amid another dominant defensive season for the three-time All-Star.
Entering Minnesota’s final 27 games of the 2023-24 season, Gobert is the odds-on favorite to take home his fourth Defensive Player of the Year trophy. FanDuel has the 11-year veteran listed at -700 odds, while DraftKings has his odds set at -650.
A fourth DPOY award would tie Gobert with Hall of Famers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all-time. It would also help him cement his place among the NBA’s greatest rim protectors of all time.
Additionally, Gobert’s Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference (39-16) coming out of the All-Star break. The only team with a better record is the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (43-12). Thus, Minnesota appears poised to make a deep playoff run for the first time since 2004.
So, if everything goes well for Gobert, he could make NBA history, contend for his first title and have his first child before the end of the year.
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