Dwight Howard calls Rudy Gobert a great father after deciding to miss Game 2 vs Nuggets

Dwight Howard praised Rudy Gobert for being a good father after the Minnesota Timberwolves big man decided to sit out Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets. Gobert went back to Minnesota to be with his girlfriend Julia Bonilla, who gave birth to their first child, a son.

Some fans were not happy that Gobert had to miss an important postseason game for the Timberwolves. However, fellow defensive big man Dwight Howard came to his defense and called the French star a great father while taking shots at bettors.

"Great father! Understand we are humans not just some props to place bets on congrats Rudy," Howard wrote.

Rudy Gobert was huge for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their Game 1 win over the Denver Nuggets. He made things tough for Nikola Jokic, who still dropped 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid also did their best to defend Jokic.

He will be missed by the Timberwolves in Game 2, but it doesn't matter. They likely gave their full support to their teammate, who became a father for the first time. Anthony Edwards even left a home game in March to go to the hospital to witness the birth of his daughter.

As for Dwight Howard, he has not been in the league since the 2021-22 season with the LA Lakers. Howard took his talents to Taiwan and the Philippines the past two seasons before signing with the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. He has five children with as many different women.

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Julia Bonilla defends Rudy Gobert from NBA player poll results

Julia Bonilla defends Rudy Gobert from NBA player poll results

Rudy Gobert has not been popular among NBA circles after what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when he tested positive and the league had to shut down. Gobert's accomplishment as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been put aside due to not getting a lot of minutes in the playoffs.

Draymond Green's disdain toward Gobert exploded earlier this season when he choked out the Minnesota Timberwolves big man. It was further proven last month that not many players like him after getting the most voted as the league's most overrated player.

However, Gobert's girlfriend Julia Bonilla came to his defense and wrote on Instagram:

"My partner is the most dedicated, focused, hard-working person I have ever met. He hasn't stolen anything from anyone and deserves all the respect for his determination and commitment to his career.

"It's hard for me to stay quiet in front of so much stupidity, disrespect and nonsense. I am so proud of the person he is -- fair, a great teammate, with a good heart and a strong mind. I am proud of you, and our son is proud of you." [H/T TMZ Sports]