Rudy Gobert throws punch at teammate during heated altercation

Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert was sent home after being involved in a sideline altercation with a teammate on Sunday that turned ugly.

Gobert and Kyle Anderson got into an argument during a timeout late in the first half of Minnesota’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Anderson apparently said something that Gobert did not appreciate, and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year threw a swing at Anderson’s chest area. Teammates and coaches quickly jumped in and separated the two.

Oh my Rudy Gobert just threw a punch at his own teammate Kyle Anderson pic.twitter.com/6GP5wwkCqW

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 9, 2023

ESPN’s Andrew Lopez reports that Gobert was escorted to the locker room area following the incident. The Timberwolves quickly announced that Gobert would not play for the remainder of the game. He was sent home.

That is not the first time an altercation between teammates has turned physical, but there have been few instances of it happening in the bench area during a game.

The Timberwolves were 41-40 heading into Sunday’s game and have secured a spot in the play-in tournament.