Timberwolves president explains decision to suspend Rudy Gobert for punching teammate: 'It was embarrassing’

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The Minnesota Timberwolves will be without their defensive anchor on Tuesday as they face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s play-in game, with the winner securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Rudy Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, was suspended one game by the organization on Monday after punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the chest during Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on March 29, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 107-100. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Minnesota's president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, explained the decision to suspend Gobert, saying the organization wants to hold itself to "elite standards."

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"We have standards we have to uphold, and we saw what happened, and it was embarrassing," Connelly said Tuesday, according to the Star Tribune. "It’s not who we are as an organization, who Rudy is as a professional. Those guys quickly made amends, but we’re trying to be an elite organization and trying to hold ourselves to elite standards."

Anderson echoed Connelly’s statement regarding the two making amends, saying the teammates have put the incident behind them.

Kyle Anderson #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves heads to the locker room after the first half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Target Center on April 9, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"We definitely hashed it out," Anderson said