‘We don’t want this baby in our house’: NBA star Rudy Gobert reveals family secret and claims French mother’s relatives wouldn’t accept her black child

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert is fiercely protective of his private life, but in a rare moment when he lets his guard down, he revealed one among his earliest memories of coping with racism.

The transparent moment was recorded in a private essay “What do you see in the dark?” for The Players’ Tribune before the primary round of the NBA Playoffs.

The French native described facing a flood of memories – some beautiful and some deemed ugly – after spending 64 hours in dark isolation in southern Oregon following the tip of the 2022-2023 NBA season. His memories included the sacrifices his mother, Corrine Gobert, made to guard the youngest of her three children.

“Before I even regained consciousness, once I was a baby born in northern France, some people didn’t want me around due to who I used to be. And not only people. My people. A really close family, actually,” Rudy wrote. He recalled his relatives saying things like, “We don’t want this baby in our house.”

He continued: “This is a painful memory, but I have to share it. You see, every year my mom’s side of the family had a big Christmas dinner at someone’s house. My mother is white. My dad is black. He is from Guadeloupe and was playing professional basketball in France when they met. My mother already had two white children from a previous relationship, and then I was born… And for some people that was a problem.”

The 7’1” center’s mother met his father, Rudy Bourgarel, when he was playing for the French national team.

The international basketball player had dreams of creating it to the NBA, although they never got here true. The couple separated when Rudy was three years old. Corrine was already the mother of two children – a daughter and a son – when she and Bourgarel welcomed their only child into the world.

“When I was born, some relatives made it very clear to her that she wouldn’t be welcome to Christmas dinner if she took me with her. She could have come alone. But she couldn’t bring “that baby.” She couldn’t take Rudy,” the championship hopeful detailed.

“She was devastated. And after all she spent Christmas with me as a substitute. She told them, “If that’s what you think, you won’t date me anymore.” Not on Christmas Day. Not at all times. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

There are various reactions to the essay on social media. “Rudy Gobert’s mom’s family is a bunch of racist morons. I hope they don’t attempt to prosecute him now that he’s on the verge of becoming a 4x dpoy. You shouldn’t pursue world-class achievements to achieve the respect of your racist relatives…” sent fan.

“The ones who really suffer in these mixed race relationships are the children. 31 years later he still has terrible memories.” decided other person. “Knowing this and still marrying a white woman smfh…” read more comment. Gobert will not be married, but his girlfriend Julia Bonilla is white. In February, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child.

Gobert has previously spoken about being treated in another way as a child by his French peers. “I’m mixed. But to the white kids, I was black,” Rudy said Andlandscape in 2020. “We have many different ethnic groups in France. Lots of Arabians. People mixed with black people. Therefore, there is always ignorance. This is from parents who don’t educate their children that people come in different colors. It never offended me.”

The anecdote is each about how his mother protected him and the ionic bond they share that helped pave the best way for him to grow to be knowledgeable basketball player.

Gobert was chosen in the primary round of the 2013 NBA Draft, twenty seventh overall. Before being traded to the Timberwolves in 2022, he played for the Utah Jazz for nine years.

‘We don’t want this baby in our house’: NBA star Rudy Gobert reveals family secret and claims French mother’s relatives wouldn’t accept her black child