Rudy Gay

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gay was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Rae Gay and Rudy Gay Sr., former lead singer of the R&B group Ace Spectrum and band director for The Stylistics. He began playing competitive recreational basketball at age 12 in his hometown of Dundalk, Maryland. At 14, he began playing for the Cecil-Kirk AAU program under coach Anthony Lewis. He played his first two years of high school basketball at Eastern Technical High School in Essex, Maryland, then transferred to Archbishop Spalding in Severn for his junior year. He was a McDonald's All-American and Parade first-team All-American as a senior. He chose UConn over Maryland amid controversy involving AAU and high school coaches, though no NCAA violations were found. As a freshman at UConn, he was co-Big East Rookie of the Year. He declared for the 2006 NBA draft after his sophomore season.

In Their Own Story

On February 15, Gay's 2010–11 campaign took a sharp turn when he suffered a left shoulder subluxation against the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury forced him to miss the final 23 regular-season games and all playoff action, despite the Grizzlies achieving a first-round upset over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. Prior to that setback, Gay had posted career highs in seven major statistical categories, including assists (2.8), steals (1.69), blocks (1.07), and field goal percentage (.471). His resilience was tested again as he returned to lead the team in scoring during the 2011–12 season, averaging 37.3 minutes per game. His final major contribution came on January 30, 2013, when he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal involving the Detroit Pistons.

Reader's Guide

Gay was selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on July 12, 2006. As a rookie, he averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 27.0 minutes in 78 games, earning NBA Rookie of the Month for November 2006 and All-Rookie First Team honors. In 2007–08, he set a Grizzlies franchise record for points in a single season (1,632) and averaged a career-high 20.1 points. He participated in the 2008 Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest. On December 13, 2009, he scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat, tying Mike Miller's franchise record for points in a win. He re-signed with Memphis on July 8, 2010, to a five-year, $82 million contract. In 2011–12, he led the Grizzlies in scoring (19.0 points) and minutes (37.3), and averaged a career-high in rebounding (6.4). On February 2, 2012, he passed Shane Battier (523) as the Grizzlies' all-time leader in steals. On January 30, 2013, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal.

Did You Know?

• Gay's father was the former lead singer of the R&B group Ace Spectrum and band director for The Stylistics.
• He was a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 2 small forward and No. 5 player in the nation in 2004 by Rivals.com.
• In his sophomore season at UConn, he was one of four division one players nominated for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
• He set a Grizzlies franchise record for points in a single season (1,632) in 2007–08.
• He scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat on December 13, 2009, tying Mike Miller's franchise record for points in a win.