Rudy Gay facts for kids
Gay with the Sacramento Kings in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | August 17, 1986 New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| College | UConn (2004–2006) | ||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall | ||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2006–2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2013 | Memphis Grizzlies | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Utah Jazz | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Points | 17,642 (15.8 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 6,283 (5.6 rpg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,280 (2.0 apg) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a forward. Rudy played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. He was picked eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Days later, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2007, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Rudy Gay was born in Brooklyn, New York. He started playing competitive basketball at age 12 in Dundalk, Maryland. When he was 14, Rudy joined the well-known Cecil-Kirk AAU program.
He played his first two years of high school basketball at Eastern Technical High School in Essex. His team, the Mavericks, made it to the state semi-finals. For his junior year, Rudy transferred to Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn.
At Archbishop Spalding, Rudy was a top player. He earned first-team All-Baltimore Catholic League honors as a junior and senior. He was also named the Baltimore Sun's co-player of the year in his senior year. He was recognized as the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year. Rudy was also a McDonald's All-American and a Parade first-team All-American. In his senior year, he averaged 21.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.
Choosing a College Team
Rudy Gay was a highly sought-after player for college. He decided to attend the University of Connecticut. This decision was a big topic of discussion because many thought he would go to the University of Maryland. Rudy had said he grew up cheering for Maryland.
College Basketball Career
As a freshman at Connecticut in the 2004–05 season, Rudy Gay was a co-winner of the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year award. He averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was also named National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News.
In the summer of 2005, Rudy played for the United States' Men's Under-21 World Championship Team. He averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the tournament.
Before his second season, Rudy was nominated as Big East Preseason Player of the Year. He was also one of four college players nominated for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. He led the Huskies in scoring with 15.2 points per game. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Rudy helped the Huskies achieve a 30–3 record. He finished his college career with 20 points and six rebounds in a game against George Mason.
In April 2006, Rudy Gay decided to enter the 2006 NBA draft. In February 2012, he was honored by being inducted into the "Huskies of Honor."
Professional Basketball Journey
Memphis Grizzlies (2006–2013)
Rudy Gay was the eighth player chosen in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. However, he was quickly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. As a rookie, he averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. He was named NBA Rookie of the Month in November 2006. He also made the 2006–07 All-Rookie First Team.
In his second season (2007–08), Rudy set a Grizzlies team record for points in a single season. He averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game. He also took part in the 2008 Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest. He finished as a runner-up for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
On December 13, 2009, Rudy scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat. This tied a team record for points in a win. In the 2009–10 season, he was second on his team in scoring with 19.6 points per game.
In July 2010, Rudy Gay signed a new five-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He became one of the best small forwards in the league during the 2010–11 season. He had career highs in assists, steals, blocks, and shooting percentages. He missed the end of that season due to a shoulder injury. He watched as the Grizzlies surprised everyone by beating the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs.
In the 2011–12 season, Rudy led the Grizzlies in scoring with 19.0 points per game. He also averaged a career-high 6.4 rebounds. He made his first playoff appearance that season.
Toronto Raptors (2013)
On January 30, 2013, the Grizzlies traded Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors. This was part of a three-team trade. Rudy set a Raptors team record by scoring 74 points in his first three games with the team. He averaged 19.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 33 games with Toronto.
Sacramento Kings (2013–2017)
On December 9, 2013, Rudy Gay was traded to the Sacramento Kings. On January 22, 2014, he tied his career high by scoring 41 points in a win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In June 2014, Rudy decided to stay with the Kings for the 2014–15 season. On October 31, 2014, he scored 40 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He signed a new contract extension with the Kings in November 2014. Rudy had one of his best seasons in the NBA, averaging 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 68 games.
On November 25, 2015, Rudy scored a season-high 36 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. On December 15, 2015, he had a career-high 6 steals in a game against the Houston Rockets.
On January 18, 2017, Rudy Gay suffered a serious injury to his left Achilles tendon. This meant he missed the rest of that season.
San Antonio Spurs (2017–2021)
On July 6, 2017, Rudy Gay signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He had a right heel injury in December 2017, which kept him out for a few weeks.
He re-signed with the Spurs in July 2018. On October 29, 2018, Rudy scored 15 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had six steals in a win against the Dallas Mavericks. On December 5, he scored a season-high 31 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Utah Jazz (2021–2023)
On August 6, 2021, Rudy Gay signed with the Utah Jazz. On December 29, he scored 21 points coming off the bench in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In July 2023, Rudy was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. A few days later, he was traded again to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was then waived by the Thunder.
On September 28, 2023, Rudy Gay signed a one-year contract with the Golden State Warriors. However, he was waived by the Warriors in October 2023 before the regular season began.
Retirement from Basketball
On October 29, 2024, Rudy Gay announced that he was retiring from playing professional basketball. He shared this news through an article on The Players' Tribune.
Playing for the National Team
In 2010, Rudy Gay helped the United States win its first FIBA World Championship gold medal since 1994. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the undefeated American team. He was also part of the national team in 2014 that won the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. This was another undefeated championship for the U.S. team.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Memphis | 78 | 43 | 27.0 | .422 | .364 | .727 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .9 | .9 | 10.8 |
| 2007–08 | Memphis | 81 | 81 | 37.0 | .461 | .346 | .785 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 20.1 |
| 2008–09 | Memphis | 79 | 78 | 37.3 | .453 | .351 | .767 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .7 | 18.9 |
| 2009–10 | Memphis | 80 | 80 | 39.7 | .466 | .327 | .752 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .8 | 19.6 |
| 2010–11 | Memphis | 54 | 54 | 39.9 | .471 | .396 | .805 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 19.8 |
| 2011–12 | Memphis | 65 | 65 | 37.3 | .455 | .312 | .791 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .8 | 19.0 |
| 2012–13 | Memphis | 42 | 42 | 36.7 | .408 | .310 | .776 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .7 | 17.2 |
| 2012–13 | Toronto | 33 | 32 | 34.7 | .425 | .336 | .856 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 1.7 | .7 | 19.5 |
| 2013–14 | Toronto | 18 | 18 | 35.5 | .388 | .373 | .773 | 7.4 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 19.4 |
| 2013–14 | Sacramento | 55 | 55 | 34.4 | .482 | .312 | .836 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 1.2 | .6 | 20.1 |
| 2014–15 | Sacramento | 68 | 67 | 35.4 | .455 | .359 | .858 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .6 | 21.1 |
| 2015–16 | Sacramento | 70 | 70 | 34.0 | .463 | .344 | .780 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 1.4 | .7 | 17.2 |
| 2016–17 | Sacramento | 30 | 30 | 33.8 | .455 | .372 | .855 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 1.5 | .9 | 18.7 |
| 2017–18 | San Antonio | 57 | 6 | 21.6 | .471 | .314 | .772 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .8 | .7 | 11.5 |
| 2018–19 | San Antonio | 69 | 51 | 26.7 | .504 | .402 | .816 | 6.8 | 2.6 | .8 | .5 | 13.7 |
| 2019–20 | San Antonio | 67 | 5 | 21.8 | .466 | .336 | .882 | 5.4 | 1.7 | .5 | .5 | 10.8 |
| 2020–21 | San Antonio | 63 | 1 | 21.6 | .420 | .381 | .804 | 4.8 | 1.4 | .7 | .6 | 11.4 |
| 2021–22 | Utah | 55 | 1 | 18.9 | .414 | .345 | .785 | 4.4 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 8.1 |
| 2022–23 | Utah | 56 | 0 | 14.6 | .380 | .254 | .857 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .3 | .3 | 5.2 |
| Career | 1,120 | 779 | 30.9 | .452 | .346 | .799 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .7 | 15.8 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Memphis | 7 | 7 | 39.9 | .421 | .211 | .825 | 6.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | .3 | 19.0 |
| 2018 | San Antonio | 5 | 4 | 32.0 | .400 | .222 | .556 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 1.6 | .2 | 12.2 |
| 2019 | San Antonio | 7 | 0 | 25.6 | .400 | .421 | .824 | 7.1 | 1.7 | .4 | .7 | 11.1 |
| Career | 19 | 11 | 32.5 | .410 | .286 | .788 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .4 | 14.3 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Connecticut | 31 | 26 | 28.8 | .462 | .467 | .708 | 5.4 | 1.5 | .8 | 1.9 | 11.8 |
| 2005–06 | Connecticut | 33 | 33 | 30.8 | .461 | .318 | .732 | 6.4 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 15.2 |
| Career | 64 | 59 | 29.8 | .461 | .378 | .721 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 13.6 |
Personal Life and Community Work
In 2010, Rudy Gay became an ambassador for the Hoops for St. Jude program. This program raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. He donated $20,000 to help the hospital.
In April 2010, Rudy received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award. This award recognized his help in the Memphis community, especially his support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The NBA also donated $5,000 to the hospital in his name. Rudy, who wore number 22 for Memphis, personally gave $22,222 to the hospital.
In 2013, Rudy married his longtime girlfriend, Ecko Wray. They have two children together. He is also a second cousin to another NBA player, Bub Carrington.
See also
In Spanish: Rudy Gay para niños
