UW men’s basketball legend Rudy Gay has retired after 17 years in the NBA. Photo courtesy of sacramentokings/Instagram.
UW legend Rudy Gay, 38, has retired from basketball after 17 seasons in the NBA, he announced in The Players Tribune.
“I would be lying if I said my career went exactly as I hoped it would,” Gay wrote. “Let’s be real here: It didn’t happen.”
Gay’s basketball career began in the Baltimore metropolitan area, Maryland. He attended two high schools: Eastern Technical High School in Essex, Maryland, and Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland.
His high school career is best known for his time at Archbishop Spalding, where he earned All-Baltimore Catholic League first-team honors his final two years. He was named a McDonald’s All-American after his senior year, averaging 21.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. Due to his success in his senior year, he was considered a five-star recruit by all the major recruiting sites.
Despite wanting to attend Maryland from an early age, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut in the fall of 2004.
Gay credits college for not only preparing him for the NBA, but also learning that “the world is cold,” forcing him to skip his freshman year and run a mile in sub-zero temperatures. He told me how he disappeared.
In the 2004-05 season, Gay averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and was named Big East Rookie of the Year. He did not start immediately, starting on the bench for the first four games before making his starting debut against Central Connecticut State University on December 22, 2004.
Gay earned first-team All-Big East honors the following season. Along with that, he was named a consensus second-team All-American. He averaged 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game, and hit similar numbers on field goals.
Gay helped lead the Huskies to the Elite Eight that season, but despite being one of four No. 1 seeds, they lost to the infamous No. 11 seed George Mason. He was named to the East Region All-Tournament Team.
After dropping out of college after his sophomore season, he was a highly sought after pick in the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he spent his first seven seasons.
In his rookie season, Gay averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, scored a whopping 31 points, and recorded five double-doubles.
“There were a lot of players that helped me become a better NBA player once I got into the league, but the biggest influence early on was definitely Damon Stoudemire,” Gay said. wrote. “I’ve always looked up to Damon, ever since I first lived in Memphis. And don’t let him know I’m saying this, but…I still respect Damon. I respect you.”
It doesn’t just mean it’s okay. It’s like… “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
Rudy Gay, NBA player and UW basketball legend
He received no accolades for the rest of his 17-year NBA career, but the only time he failed to average more than 10 points per game was in the final two years of his career with the Utah Jazz.
Gay averaged 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field with Memphis, Tennessee. In his second year in the league, he averaged 20.1 points per game, and since becoming a rookie he has never been able to maintain an average of 10 points per game. year.
“I was really lucky to come to Memphis when I was 19 years old and be there with Damon, Kyle, Pau, Mike Conley and others and see something built from the ground up.” he writes. “I had a lot of fun on the court, but just as important and meaningful was being able to be a part of that community.”
His most notable moments with Memphis included participating in the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest and hitting a buzzer-beating jumper to help the Grizzlies win their first home opener since the 2000-01 season. is included. On December 13, 2009, Gay scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat, tying Mike Miller’s game-winning scoring record.
During his penultimate season with Memphis, Gay was inducted into the Huskies of Honor at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
He was traded to the Toronto Raptors on January 30, 2013. He set a franchise record by scoring a total of 74 points in the first three games.
“I know the Grizzlies are getting a lot of flak for their success after trading me,” Gay wrote. “But all I can say is that I’m proud of the role I played in the rise of that team back then. And I want to share how much I loved being a Memphis Grizzly.” I want everyone to know.”
UW men’s basketball legend Rudy Gay has retired after 17 years in the NBA. Photo courtesy of sacramentokings/Instagram.
Gay was unable to continue a full season with Toronto and was traded to the Sacramento Kings 11 months later. During his four years in Sacramento, California, he averaged 19.3 points per game, the second-highest scoring average on the team (compared to 19.5 points per game with the Raptors). On January 22, 2014, he tied his career high with 41 points in a big win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Many of the places I played during my career were fun,” Gay wrote. “Toronto was great. Sacramento was a really fun place to play.”
Gay signed with the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2017 and played there for four years before signing with the Jazz for the final two years in 2021.
Gay wrote that he was excited to spend more time with his family, and revealed he was thinking about what’s next for him, citing speaking, media, and business.
“This is my 18th year in the league,” Gay concluded. “I’ve learned from some of the greatest people ever. I’ve made amazing lifelong friends. I feel good. I’m healthy. I’m inspired. I have a family that loves me and loves me more than anything. It’s not just okay. It’s like… …’I’m the luckiest man in the world.’
