Should the Utah Jazz retire Rudy Gobert’s number?

The Utah Jazz just traded away one of the greatest players in franchise history, and after nine seasons in Salt Lake City, it’s safe to say that Rudy Gobert made a lasting impact on the team, the city and the community. Sure, he may not have led the Jazz to their first NBA Championship, a burden that now rests solely with Donovan Mitchell, but during his time as a member of the Jazz, the 7’2″ Frenchman gave everything he had to the Utah Jazz, and will likely be remembered fondly by the Jazz and their fans. That raises a question, should the Utah Jazz retire the No. 27 one day when Gobert is done in the NBA? It’s one that was recently posed on Twitter, and the responses are interesting, and it’s certainly a question that everyone should consider.

Gobert was never an offensive threat, and seemingly didn’t improve that side of his game throughout his tenure in Utah, but his presence on the defensive end can’t be denied, as he went on to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The defensive minded center’s in today’s game are becoming fewer and fewer by the year, as most are opting to improve their offensive game and focus solely on stretching the floor, but as an old-school big man, Gobert managed to impact the game on that end of the floor like few players have in a long, long time.

On top of all the on court accolades and success, Rudy was a presence in the Salt Lake City community, and was a fantastic teammate throughout his tenure, and although he wasn’t able to lead the Jazz to sustained playoff success, he did everything within his power to help this team succeed.

So what do you think? After all his accomplishment’s and dedication to Utah, should Rudy Gobert’s number be retired by the Jazz one day, or is the lack of a Championship or any playoff success going to hold the Jazz back from celebrating a great nine year career in Salt Lake City?