Rudy Gobert is one of the best basketball stories this century. The son of a former college teammate of 1990s Indiana Pacers star Rik Smits — Gobert’s dad had a cameo in the classic Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” — Gobert grew up with his mother in France when the sport was still largely ignored in that country. He worked his way from 27th pick in the 2013 NBA draft — he was traded on draft night — into four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time all-star and a key component of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that has reached the Western Conference finals the past two seasons and is a legitimate contender again this year. Gobert is a classic underdog story. There is a nonzero chance he ends up in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

© Washington Post