Rudy Gobert downplays rift with Donovan Mitchell, says they've talked

Rudy Gobert downplayed apparent friction between him and Utah Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell on Sunday, saying that they recently spoke for the first time since Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus and triggered the suspension of the NBA season.

Mitchell, who later tested positive, was upset by Gobert's careless behavior before the center was aware that he had been infected. In an Instagram post hours after Mitchell received the results of his positive test, Gobert apologized for not taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously and potentially exposing others.

"It's true that we didn't speak for a while after this, but we spoke a few days ago," Gobert said in video post to Instagram Live on Sunday. "We're both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team."

On Sunday, Gobert said the Jazz's pair of All-Stars remain on the same page.

"It's not about being unprofessional," Gobert said. "You know, everyone has got different relationships -- it's never perfect. People that are married, it's never perfect. So you know, me and my teammates, it's far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing -- and it's winning. We're both grown men, and we both are going to do what it takes to win."

Since the suspension of the season, Mitchell's only public comments regarding his relationship with Gobert came during a March 16 appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"To be honest with you, it took a while for me to kind of cool off, and I read what he said and heard what he said," Mitchell said when asked by host Robin Roberts if he'd been in touch with Gobert. "I'm glad he's doing OK. I'm glad I'm well. I'm just really happy, to be honest, Robin, that it wasn't the whole [team]."

Gobert, who said he received death threats in the days after his positive test, reiterated that any issues between him and Mitchell were overblown.

"There's no fight," Gobert said. "It's all about thousands of people are dying every day, and it's all about what we can do to help, what we can do to bring some positive. That's what my focus is on now."