NBA fans upset with Rudy Gobert after he follows J.K. Rowling on X: "This guy needs a PR team bad"
Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert has invited the wrath of NBA fans after following Harry Potter author JK Rowling on X.
The 59-year-old author from the United Kingdom has notably been vocal in her criticism of transgender people, particularly transgender women for many years, drawing the ire of many fans in the process.
NBA fans were left disappointed by Gobert's decision to follow Rowling on X although there is no evidence to suggest he endorses the fantasy fiction author's views.
"He's following a clown" - Vented one fan
"NO. We are inclusive in MN!" - Wrote another aggrieved Minnesota fan
Another fan called him a TERF, which stands for Trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
The acronym has been used to refer to celebrities like Rowling, "radical feminists" who are seemingly "hostile to transgender people's rights and their inclusion in the feminist movement." (as per Dictionary.com)
"Of course Rudy Gobert is a terf"
Some fans also drew attention to Gobert's long history of PR gaffes and mocked him for not having a team dedicated to monitoring his activity.
"This guy needs a PR team bad, bro. lmao" - Replied another fan
"Multi millionaire and he can’t afford a PR team" - Echoed another fan
"I’ll never forget how he mocked Covid that one interview. Been downhill ever since" - Remarked a fan
Gobert has sometimes spoken about being misunderstood as a public figure and in a 2024, article in the Players' Tribune, he opened up, saying
"The last few years, after the COVID situation, and my trade to Minnesota, and the incident against the Warriors this season, I feel like people make their own stories about me without knowing much about who I am." - Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert was also accused of transphobia in 2022
The French basketball player is no stranger to controversy, and has previously irked NBA fans and players several times. In 2022, he was forced to apologize for liking an apparently transphobic tweet from Elon Musk, mocking Dr. Anthony Fauci, then chief medical adviser to outgoing President Joe Biden.
"I've always moved with love, and people that know me know that I might be a bit goofy sometimes, and my intent always comes from a good place. Sorry if I hurt anyone." - Said Rudy Gobert
In the X post, Musk had tweeted: "My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci", which Gobert reportedly liked. It is key to note that this could have been a reflection of Gobert's critical opinions about Dr. Fauci's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than an edorsement of transphobic views.