I said I want a role in the next season. – Rudy Gobert
SALT LAKE CITY — A popular actor from Rudy Gobert’s favorite television show sat behind the Utah Jazz bench during Friday night’s 110-100 win over Golden State.
The French center didn’t even notice — and he wasn’t just saying that to make his coach think he was extra focused on the game at hand.
A few minutes after the game, Gobert couldn’t help but see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, an actor who’s best known for his role as Jaime Lannister in HBO’s fantasy series “Game of Thrones.”
The “Kingslayer,” in town for the Salt Lake Comic Con FanX extravaganza, received special permission to visit the Jazz locker room after the game.
Gobert ran into him en route to the showers.
“I don’t really like Lannisters,” Gobert said in regards to the show’s mostly villainous family. “But … I’ll make an exception.”
The 22-year-old Jazz player was quite excited to meet the Hollywood celebrity. Gobert took a photo in the locker room and posted it on Instagram, celebrating the “great win” and meeting the star.
During his quick encounter, Gobert made one request to the Danish Coster-Waldau, who was cheering for the Jazz on this night.
“I said I want a role in the next season,” Gobert said, smiling.
The meeting made the "Game of Thrones" fan long for another chance encounter.
“I wish Tyrion was there,” Gobert said, referring to Jaime’s younger brother, who’s played by Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage.
Friday’s Jazz crowd did feature another well-known actor in town for Comic Con: Superman actor Brandon Routh.
FASHION DISASTER?: While Dante Exum was being interviewed Friday, the Jazz rookie smiled as Derrick Favors held a beige shirt up above reporters so he could see it.
It was a bit of an inside joke between the two players.
“I said in a TV interview that Derrick has no style, and he’s trying to prove to me that he does,” the Australian said of his Georgia native teammate. “So he pulled out his Gucci today, showing a bit of money.”
The good-natured Favors took exception to the teenager’s claim.
“He had the nerves to say I’m the worst dresser on the team,” a smiling Favors said in disbelief. “I told him, ‘All right, Dante. You want to go that way, OK.’ I had to go in my closet.”
Favors joked that he might “start wearing suits” just to prove Exum wrong.
ALLEZ-OOP!: One of the Jazz’s highlight-reel plays from their exciting 110-100 win over the Warriors on Friday wasn’t originally planned to play out like it did.
The end result was an emphatic dunk by Gobert, who took a long lob from point guard Trey Burke and threw it down hard.
Burke explained that the play was actually intended for a teammate.
“Our chemistry is growing every day,” Burke said of his relationship with Gobert. “The play was originally for Fav. His guy started helping over and I saw Rudy basically giving me a signal. I trust him and he trusts me, so I threw it up to him.”
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