Rudy Gobert, reigning two-time NBA Defensive player of the year, has won the Alain Gilles trophy for best basketball player of the year (male or female) in France, marking the first time an NBA player has won this trophy (first awarded in 2015). While the French Basketball Federation and sports media (who select the winner) may be slightly biased towards players still in Europe (then CSKA Moscow’s Nando de Colo, Basket Landes’ Céline Dumerc, and Real Madrid’s Fabien Causeur being the other winners), it’s good to see Rudy getting the recognition he deserves after leading the French team to the bronze medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, ahead of the likes of Australia, USA, and Serbia.
Grand honneur pour moi d’avoir reçu le trophée #AlainGilles du meilleur basketteur français de l’année . Merci . pic.twitter.com/MYwP7SO7qs
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) October 14, 2019
Here’s to the Stifle Tower racking up more recognition and trophies this year and beyond!
Alain Gilles (1945-2014), named as the greatest French basketball player of the 20th century, one of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players (1991), and French Basketball Hall of Fame (2004), was a French point guard/shooting guard who played in 159 games with the senior men’s French national basketball team.