Rudy Gay

At 38 years old, Rudy Gay has this physical status:

Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 6'8" small forward played college basketball for the University of Connecticut before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets; he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies just days later.

Early life and high school

Rae Gay and Rudy Gay Sr., the former lead singer of R&B's Ace Spectrum and band director for The Stylistics, began playing competitive recreational basketball in Brooklyn, Maryland, at the age of 12. Gay started playing for the nationally recognized Cecil-Kirk AAU program under head coach Anthony Lewis at the age of 14.

Gay attended Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore County, a magnet school in Essex, for his first two years of high school basketball. Both boys played varsity basketball for two years. The Mavericks' first and only trip to College Park for the state semi-finals was earned in his sophomore season at Eastern Tech. Although Eastern Tech was a Blue Ribbon academic program, Gay's parents were concerned about his college preparations. He began his junior year at Eastern Tech in Severn in September 2002, but Archbishop Spalding took him in Severn in September 2002. This prompted the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association to rewrite its transfer policies. He began playing basketball for Spalding as a youth and senior in 2002–03, winning first-team All-Baltimore Catholic League accolades as a junior and senior, as well as being named Baltimore Sun co-player of the year as a senior. In his senior year, he was the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, and a Parade first-team All-American. Gay was ranked No. 1 by Rivals.com as the No. 1 recruit. The No. 2 is a small forward and the No. 2. In 2004, the country's top player.

Gay's college choices and decision to attend the University of Connecticut over the University of Maryland were contentious. Gay had expressed an intention to attend Maryland and said he grew up rooting for the team, but he ultimately voted UConn. There was the appearance of impropriety due to the heavy involvement of an AAU coach and a high school coach, but no NCAA recruiting violations were found. Since UConn spent $25,000 to schedule a game against the Beltway Ballers, an ad hoc AAU team made up of Gay's former coworkers, the NCAA has released a new scheduling rule. Despite the fact that it was in breach of no standing rule at the time, media observers and Connecticut employees inexorably linked to the recruitment. According to people close to Maryland head coach Gary Williams, re-electing rules is often required to attract highly praised players, something Williams said he was unable to do, even at the expense of recruiting.

Personal life

Gay was named an ambassador for the Hoops for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis in 2010 and donated $20,000 to the program, which encouraged donors to pledge a set amount of dollars for each point scored by Gay and other participating NBA players.

Gay was given the NBA Cares Community Assist Award in March for his service to the Memphis area, particularly for his continued support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. As a result, the NBA donated a $5,000 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on behalf of Gay. Gay, who wore number 22 with Memphis, has personally donated $22,222 to the hospital.

Gay married Ecko Wray, his longtime girlfriend, in 2013.

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College career

After averaging 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on a 5.6 percent shooting in 31 games as a freshman at Connecticut in 2004-05, Gay was a co-winner (with Jeff Green of Georgetown) of the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year award (with Jeff Green of Georgetown) of the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year award. He was voted National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News and received five times the Big East Rookie of the Week award.

Gay was a member of the United States' Under-21 World Championship Team in the summer of 2005. Over the tournament, he averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Gay and Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara were nominated Big East Preseason Player of the Year before his sophomore season began. Gay was one of four division one college players nominated for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award after the season ended (along with JJ Redick, Adam Morrison, and Allan Ray). In addition, he was unanimously chosen to the All-Big East team. While scoring 15.2 points, 2.1 assists, and 30.8 minutes in 33 games as a sophomore, he led the Huskies in scoring (15.2 points). He was selected first-team All-America by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and was named to the 2006 Washington, D.C. national championship. The All-Tournament Team in the region. On November 21, 2005, he scored a career-high 28 points against Arkansas. In an NCAA Elite Eight loss to George Mason on March 26, Gay led the Huskies to a 30–3 record and finished his college career with 20 points and six rebounds in a career-high 42 minutes.

Gay also signed for the 2006 NBA draft on April 24, 2006.

Gay was inducted into the "Huskies of Honor" in February 2012.

Professional career

Gay was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, who then traded him and Stromile Swift to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Shane Battier on July 12. Following his initial signing by the team, Gay immediately signed his rookie scale contract with the Grizzlies. In 78 games (43 starts) as a rookie, Gay averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 27.0 minutes. After placing fourth among first-year players in scoring, sixth in steals (0.91), fifth in blocks (0.95), and fourth in minutes, he received NBA Rookie of the Month accolades for November 2006. In addition, he came in third place in the voting for the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year Award, behind winner Brandon Roy and runner-up Andrea Bargnani.

Gay set a Grizzlies' franchise record for points in a single season (1,632) in 2007–08, becoming just the third player in franchise history to score 20 points per game (behind only Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Pau Gasol). He competed in the 2008 Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest and finished runner-up to Hedo Türkolu for the 2007–08 NBA Most Improved Player Award. Gay and YouTube have joined up for the Rudy Gay Slam Dunk Contest, in which he pleaded for fans to post a video of their best dunks for him to participate during the competition. During the first round, he delivered a one-handed reverse clutch dunk, and Kyle Lowry accused the ball off the bar and from behind the backboard; Gay recovered and pulled off a windmill dunk. He finished with an 85 percent, but did not progress to the second round, but did not qualify.

In 79 games (78 starts), Gay earned 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.24 steals, and 37.3 minutes. In Memphis' home opener against the Orlando Magic on October 31, he made a baseline jumper as time expired, giving the organization their first home-opening victory since the 2000–01 season.

Gay scored a career-high 41 points versus the Miami Heat on December 13, 2009, tying Mike Miller's franchise record for points in a win. In 2009–10, he ranked second on the team in scoring (19.6 points) in 39.7 minutes in 80 games (all starts). He finished the season tied for 18th in scoring, 17th in steals, and third in minutes.

Gay re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on July 8, 2010, extending his five-year, $82 million contract. In 2010-2011, he was one of the league's top small forwards in seven main statistical categories before missing the final 23 games and all of the 2011 Playoffs due to a left shoulder injury suffered against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 15. He set career highs for assists (2.8), robs (1.69), blocks (1.07), field goal percentage (.471), free throw percentage (.799), and minutes (39.9). In 54 games (all starts), he came in second place on the team in scoring (19.8 points) and second in fourth (all starts). The Grizzlies defeated the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in a first round thriller before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference semi-finals. Gay watched from the sidelines.

On February 2, 2012, Gay beat the Atlanta Hawks' all-time leader in steals over Shane Battier (523) as the Grizzlies' all-time leader in robbery leader. Gay led the Grizzlies in scoring (19.0 points) and minutes (37.3%) in 2011–12, with a career-best rebounding record (6.4). He had 2.3 assists and.455 shootings in 65 games (all started) and ranked 17th in NBA scoring, 16th in steals (1.46), sixth in minutes, and seventh in dunks (110). In seven games against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2012 Western Conference Playoffs, he made his first postseason appearance in 2011-2012, scoring 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on a.421 shooting in 39.9 minutes.

The Grizzlies traded Gay to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team trade that also included the Detroit Pistons on January 30, 2013. In his first three games with the Raptors, Gay set a franchise record by scoring 74 points. The Raptors won by 34–48 over–loss record in 2012 and missed the playoffs. He was the first player to lead two teams in scoring in the same season since Stephon Marbury in 2003-04. In 33 games (32 starts) with Toronto, he averaged 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.73 steals, and 34.7 minutes.

The Raptors traded Gay, Quincy Acy, Aaron Gray, and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Greivis Vásquez, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, and Patrick Patterson. In the Kings' 114–97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he tied his career high of 41 points.

Gay exercised his $19.3 million contract option with the Kings for the 2014–15 season on June 22, 2014. In a 103–94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on October 31, 2014, Gay scored 40 points. He extended his three-year, $40 million deal with the Kings on November 19, 2014. Gay played in just one of the Kings' final nine games of the 2014-15 season after suffering headaches due to a concussion he suffered while he was working with his ex-teammate, Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies on March 30. Gay had one of his best seasons in the NBA, scoring 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 68 games.

In a 129-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on November 25, 2015, Gay scored a season-high 36 points. In a 107-97 victory over the Houston Rockets, he had 17 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and a career-high 6 steals.

In the Kings' 106–100 loss to the Indiana Pacers on January 18, 2017, Gay suffered a complete rupture of his left Achilles tendon and then missed the remainder of the season.

Gay signed with the San Antonio Spurs on July 6, 2017. Gay suffered a right heel injury on December 28, 2017 and was later banned for at least two weeks.

Gay re-signed with the Spurs on July 11, 2018.

Gay signed with the Utah Jazz on August 6, 2021.

National team career

Gay was a key player in the United States win their first FIBA World Championship gold medal since 1994, winning 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 13.4 minutes in nine games for the undefeated Americans in 2010. He was also a member of the national team in 2014, winning the gold medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup during another undefeated campaign.

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