The NBA announced Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been named to the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive First Team. This is the eighth time in Gobert’s career he’s been named to the All-Defensive First Team and the ninth time he’s been named to either All-Defensive Team (2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18 and 2016-17). After being named to the All-Defensive Second Team last season and All-Defensive First Team in 2023-24, he becomes the second player in franchise history to be named to either All-Defensive Team three or more times (Kevin Garnett: First Team, 6x; Second Team, 2x).
Anchored by Gobert, the Timberwolves finished the 2025-26 campaign with the eighth-ranked defense in the NBA (112.5) after ranking in the top-10 for defensive rating for the third straight season (first in 2023-24). This marks just the second time in franchise history and first since 2003-06 that the Wolves ranked in the top-10 for defensive rating in three straight seasons. Gobert finished the season with the second-best individual defensive rating in the NBA (min. 30.0 minutes per game).
The 7-1 center finished up his 13th season in the NBA and fourth with the Timberwolves, where he played in and started in 76 games this season, averaging 10.9 points on 68.2% shooting, 11.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.63 blocks per contest. The 2025-26 season marked his eighth consecutive season in which he shot 65% or better from the field. He ended the season ranked third in the NBA in field goal percentage (.682), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.9 rpg), tied for fourth in rebounds per game (11.5 rpg), and was third in total rebounds (872). Gobert became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.00 blocks in 10 straight seasons since blocks were officially tracked in 1973-74. He joins Dwight Howard (14), Shaquille O’Neal (13), Tim Duncan (13), Hakeem Olajuwon (12), Moses Malone (11) and Dikembe Mutombo (11).
One of Gobert’s best performances this past season came in Minnesota’s 110-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets on March 25, leading the way for the Timberwolves with 14 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and a game-high five blocks, marking his 30th double-double of the season (506th career) and his 10th consecutive season with 30+ double-doubles, tied with Denver’s Nikola Jokić for the NBA’s longest active streak.
The Timberwolves finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 49-33 record, marking the first time the team posted three straight 49+ win seasons (49-33 in 2024-25 and 56-26 in 2023-24) since a string of three straight from 2001-2004. The Wolves’ 49-33 mark is tied for the sixth-best record in franchise history. The Wolves clinched a spot in the NBA Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and the 14th time in franchise history. Minnesota’s five straight trips to the postseason mark the most consecutive playoff appearances for the franchise since making the playoffs eight consecutive seasons from 1996-97 to 2003-04.
(info and photo courtesy of Timberwolves/NBA)
