“He Never Came Off as Intimidating”: Paul Pierce Refused to Call Rudy Gobert Top-10 Defensively All-Time

The NBA may be a league that embraces offense over defense, but that doesn’t mean there won’t still be a few standouts who embody the old guard. Rudy Gobert is among them. The French superstar of the Minnesota Timberwolves has made rim protection the strong point of his game and aims to be known as one of basketball’s greatest defenders. But not everyone considers him part of that list, even though the accolades suggest he is.

Gobert has not hidden his desire to be known as the best defender in the league’s history. On the recent edition of Prime Timeout, he revealed his true major NBA goals: “To become an NBA champion, to be the best defender in history.” With four Defensive Player of the Year Awards under his belt, he is well on his way.

Yet for some reason, Gobert has not garnered the respect from certain legends, including Paul Pierce. The Truth broke down why he just doesn’t see Gobert as an all-time defender. He doesn’t even see him as a top 10 defender of all time.

Why? One key trait: intimidation.

“Like he’s not in the top 10 for me. You know, when you talk about, like, defensive impact, it’s like he never came off as intimidating as some of these other guys. Like a force, like Dikembe was intimidating. You know what I’m saying?” suggested Pierce. While his point may turn some heads, there is some honesty to what the former champion is saying.

“Like, Alonzo was intimidating as a defender. Like all the guys in the top 10 are intimidating defenders. Gary Payton, Rodman, Scottie, they were intimidating. Ron Artest. They were intimidating. I put him on the same level as Tim Duncan, though,” he added.

Paul Pierce on Rudy Gobert comments about wanting to be the best defender of all-time:

“Like he’s not in the top 10 for me. You know when you talk about, like defensive impact it’s like he never came off as intimidating as some of these other guys. Like a force, like Dikembe was… pic.twitter.com/Ad67JX1vHg

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 20, 2026

Gobert is a force in the paint. He knows how to rack up blocks or force off-balance shots to the game’s best scorers. But Dikembe truly frightened opponents. Same can be said for the Glove or even the Worm. But Gobert? He doesn’t necessarily invoke fear into the opposition. But it’s also a different era. Some of the things Rodman or Dikembe did probably wouldn’t fly in today’s game.

The good news is that Gobert isn’t done yet. He still has time to sharpen his intensity and etch his name up there with the greats. What’s even better is that he plays alongside stars like Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, two men who have the same hunger to chase a ring that he does.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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