Rudy Gobert

Ananth Pandian

The Minnesota Timberwolves were well represented at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.&nbsp;

Tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Wolves had an NBA-high six players playing in the World Cup: Anthony Edwards (USA), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Rudy Gobert (France), Kyle Anderson (China), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada) and Matteo Spagnolo (Italy).&nbsp;

Want to know how all six of the Wolves played in the World Cup? Here’s everything you need to know.

Taking place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is essentially a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There are 32 teams playing in the tournament: 12 from Europe, eight from Asia and Oceania, seven from the Americas and five from Africa. Those 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four for the First Round.&nbsp;

The winner of the tournament becomes the World Cup champion and will receive a gold medal. Silver (2nd place) and bronze (3rd place) medals will also be awarded.&nbsp;

The top seven teams by region will secure a berth for the Olympics: one team from Africa, two teams from the Americas, one team from Asia, two teams from Europe and one team from Oceania.&nbsp;&nbsp;

France has an automatic Olympic bid for 2024 because they are the host team. The other four remaining Olympic berths will be determined by Olympic qualifying tournaments in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the World Cup, Anthony Edwards and Team USA advanced all the way to the bronze medal game and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. USA however, lost 127-118 in overtime to Canada and finished fourth overall in the World Cup.

Read more about Edwards and Team USA here. 

In the World Cup, Edwards lead Team USA in scoring with 18.9 points (FG: 47.5%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 70%). He also averaged 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a 1.1 steals in 26 minutes a game.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the World Cup: 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Canada finished third in the World Cup and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

By beating USA to claim bronze, Canada won their first-ever FIBA medal in the country's history. This was also Canada's first international medal in basketball since their silver medal finish in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

In the World Cup, Alexander-Walker averaged 9.4 points (FG: 39.7%, 3PT: 38.5%), 2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal in 21.9 minutes a game. Alexander-Walker also hit a total of 20 threes, which was the most by any bench player in the World Cup.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic went undefeated in the First Round of the World Cup but went 0-2 in the Second Round, which knocked them out of the tournament.

For the World Cup, Towns averaged 24.4 points (FG: 45.5%, 3PT: 39.4%), 8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.6 minutes a game.

Here are the final results for Towns and the Dominican Republic in the World Cup:

Rudy Gobert and France closed out the World Cup with two wins in the Classification Round to finish 3-2 overall.

In the World Cup, Gobert averaged 10.8 points (FG: 66.7%), 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal and 1.8 blocks in 23.9 minutes a game.

Here are the final results for Gobert and France in the World Cup:

Eligible for Chinese citizenship through his maternal great-grandfather, Kyle Anderson obtained Chinese nationality in July and represented China for the first time in the 2023 World Cup. His Chinese name of Li Kaier was featured on the back of his jersey.

In the World Cup, Anderson averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a steal in 32.1 minutes. Anderson and China finished the World Cup with a record of 1-4.

Here are the final results for Anderson and China in the World Cup:

Picked 50th overall by the Timberwolves in the 2022 NBA Draft, Matteo Spagnolo is the third-youngest player to play for Italy’s senior team.

Italy made it to the Quarter Finals of the World Cup but lost to Edwards and Team USA. They ended up finishing eighth overall.

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Timberwolves at FIBA World Cup 2023: schedule, updated scores & more 

Fundamentally basic, the pick-and-roll is anything but simple.

It can be a deadly weapon for an offense when executed perfectly, decimating defenses with the questions it presents. The pick-and-roll forces defenders to make a quick decision and if they choose wrong, they just gave up a basket.

Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert know how to perplex defenses with the pick-and-roll. The duo honed their pick-and-roll rhythm for 3 seasons in Utah before recently reconnecting with the Wolves. And to hear them explain it, their pick-and-roll relationship is better than ever.

Talking with Bally Sport's North Jim Peterson, Conley and Gobert recently broke down their pick-and-roll connection and explained in great detail why they are so effective at it.

"He's one of the best in the league I've been around that's able to make contact [with a screen] and really get some distance from the guy guarding me and allowing me to get opportunities to shoot," Conley said about Gobert's excellence in the pick-and-roll. "But with that space, creates opportunity for him to roll and his vertical ability to get above guys and the rim, it makes it an easy game for a point guard to find him in different spots on the floor."

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Bally Sports North: What Makes the Wolves Pick & Roll Special?

"His ability to read, recognize what the defense gives him," Gobert said about Conley's brilliance in the pick-and-roll. "Obviously being able to shoot behind the screen, being able to attack and have that floater or finish coming off the screen it's huge. It forces teams to make decisions."

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Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert break down their pick-and-roll connection

Throughout his illustrious career, Rudy Gobert has amassed a considerable list of impressive accolades. Now thanks to Titan Comics, Gobert can add comic book star to his remarkable resume.

Gobert is the star of "Bash! Vol. 1," a young-adult graphic novel that tells the story of "an intergalactic game of basketball played by the superstar athletes from across the cosmos."

Here's everything you need to know about Gobert's comic book:

Here's the graphic novel's synopsis via the publisher Titan Comics:

"BASH — an intergalactic game of basketball played by superstar athletes from across the cosmos.&nbsp;Young Rudy comes from the poor neighborhood of Nevilia, but dreams of a being a BASH star, and his talent might just make it happen: but can he make it while threats come from every corner of the galaxy?Throughout the universe, there’s one sport that everyone’s a fan of: BASH! A brutal, high-octane version of basketball: its players are rockstars, legends,&nbsp;gods,&nbsp;and for young Rudy, a poor kid from Nevilia, his only dream is to be one of them.&nbsp;Rudy’s got talent, but talent is nothing without practice and so he sets out to become the best BASH player in the galaxy, always training, always reaching for just one more dunk.&nbsp;And while Rudy is starting to get noticed by the teams and the talent scouts, other, more sinister forces have started to creep out from the shadows, jealous of this rising young star."

What does Rudy Gobert think about the comic book?

Here's what Gobert said via a press release:

“This was surely a crazy feat when we started it. I wanted to tell a story that bolsters dedication and courage, which were so essential to my own personal journey. I hope that it will encourage readers to overcome their challenges and pursue their dreams.”

What does Rudy Gobert's comic book look like?

Here are a couple images of "BASH!" from Titan Comics:

Where can I buy Rudy Gobert's comic book?

You can purchase "BASH!" via Titan Comics by clicking here.

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Rudy Gobert stars in intergalactic basketball-themed comic book

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