Rudy Gobert knew long before the rest of the world did.<\/p>\n
Victor Wembanyama was only 13 when Gobert first heard of him. It didn\u2019t take long for Gobert to see the enormous potential<\/a> in his French countryman. When they talked, Wembanyama asked the questions and Gobert gave him the answers.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the rest is history,\u201d Gobert said.<\/p>\n The basketball world is now fully aware of what Gobert saw in Wembanyama years ago. A French center will be heading to the NBA\u2019s<\/a> Final Four in a couple of weeks; which one it\u2019ll be hangs on the outcome of a Western Conference semifinal series between Wembanyama\u2019s San Antonio Spurs and Gobert\u2019s Minnesota Timberwolves. Game 1 is Monday night in San Antonio.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very, very proud and I\u2019m very excited to watch him grow every day, to see his work paying off,\u201d Gobert said. \u201cOutside of the talent, he\u2019s someone that has a very unique soul, a very unique mind and nothing is an accident. It\u2019s not an accident that he\u2019s having the success that he\u2019s having.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s never been a playoff series that is entirely about a 1-on-1 matchup, though it\u2019s easy to understand why so much attention will be devoted to the Wembanyama vs. Gobert element of these games.<\/p>\n It\u2019s reasonable to think many basketball fans learned of Wembanyama when the now-infamous video<\/a> of a 2-on-2 game featuring him and Gobert came out six years ago. The first three baskets on the clip were Wembanyama making two jumpers over Gobert, then cutting free for a dunk.<\/p>\n Wembanyama is now a Defensive Player of the Year and MVP finalist, a bona fide superstar. But he\u2019s still asking Gobert for advice \u2014 including a recent query about what water filter Gobert uses in his home. A small detail, sure, but an illustration of how Wembanyama\u2019s thirst for knowledge remains in place.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s meant a lot as a role model,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cThere\u2019s lots of (ways) that he inspired me and I think he should inspire more people in terms of taking care of your body. He should be a model for all big men. So, I would say that\u2019s the main thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Minnesota is trying to reach the Western Conference finals for the third consecutive season, while San Antonio is bidding for its first trip there since 2017. The Timberwolves found a way to defeat third-seeded Denver<\/a> in Round 1, finishing that off even after Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles and Anthony Edwards was sidelined<\/a> with a knee injury.<\/p>\n