Rudy Gobert may have been sending a not-so-subtle message during the Timberwolves’ Game 4 loss to the Nuggets.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the T-Wolves trailing 109-97, the Minnesota big man appeared to sign gold after the officials called him his fifth foul.
Officials called Gobert out for shoving Jamal Murray from behind as he was trying to get a rebound, a decision Gobert didn’t like.
He quickly flashed the money sign before being seen shaking his head as he walked down the court.
The meaning of the gesture wasn’t difficult to decipher, and it wasn’t the first time Gobert had done it in a game involving referee Scott Foster, who was crew chief for Sunday’s contest.
And if history is any indication, Gobert could be at risk of a hefty fine from the NBA for this action.
The Timberwolves center made the same money sign gesture to Foster during a game against the Cavaliers in March when Gobert fouled out in the final seconds of the game.
Referee Natalie Sago saw Gobert leave the court and gave him a technical hit.
This time, none of the officials seemed to understand the gesture, which seemed to imply that officials were on board with the action, but eagle-eyed social media users figured it out. .
Gobert doubled down on that after the game for the March incident as well.
“I’ll try again,” Gobert said at the time after the Cavaliers game. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll pay the fine, but I think it’s going to have a negative effect on our game. I know the stakes and everything is getting bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way. ”
Gobert made no such comments after Sunday’s loss.
The center finished the game with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting and pulled down 14 boards.
