Rudy Gay
Encyclopedia
Rudy Carlton Gay, Jr. is an American professional basketball
player who is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies
. He played collegiately
at the University of Connecticut
before turning pro.
in one of the toughest youth basketball leagues in the area. Early exposure to Baltimore AAU
basketball and summer league games in the Tom Jones Youth Summer League in Washington, D.C.
, showcased his abilities against top competition.
At the age of 14, Gay began playing for the nationally-known Cecil-Kirk AAU program under Coach Anthony Lewis with other blue-chip players such as Josh Boone
(UConn), Paris Carter (N Mexico), and Chester Frazier (Illinois). During the spring of his 8th grade year, Gay and teammate Scott Dozier were highly sought after by several private schools. Gay attended Eastern Technical High School
in Baltimore County, while Dozier enrolled at the St. Paul's School. Rudy transferred to Archbishop Spalding High School
of the Baltimore Catholic League
after his sophomore year at Eastern Tech.
, a magnet school
in Essex
. He played varsity basketball both years. Although Eastern Tech was a Blue Ribbon academic institution, Gay's parents were concerned about his college preparation and during the summer of his sophomore year solicited help from Coach Collins who suggested several private schools, including Archbishop Spalding High School. After reviewing each school's long term academic curriculum, it was decided that Gay would attend Spalding. Gay began playing for Spalding his Junior and senior years. He was one of the top recruits entering college play after attending Archbishop Spalding High School where he was 1st team All-Baltimore Catholic League
honors as a junior and senior, and was also honored as the Baltimore Sun's co-player of the year. He was the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American, and a Parade
First Team All-American in his senior year after averaging 21.2 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks.
Gay's college recruitment and decision to attend the University of Connecticut
over the University of Maryland
were controversial. Gay had expressed a desire to attend Maryland and said that he grew up rooting for the team, but he ultimately chose UConn. Because of the heavy involvement of an AAU coach and a high school coach, there was the appearance of impropriety, although no NCAA recruiting violations were discovered. The NCAA adopted a new scheduling rule after UConn paid $25,000 to schedule a game against the Beltway Ballers, an ad hoc AAU team that consisted of Gay's former teammates. Although it violated no standing rule at the time, media observers and Connecticut staff considered it directly connected to the recruitment. According to individuals close to Maryland head coach Gary Williams
, the recruitment demonstrated that rule bending is often necessary to secure highly touted players, which Williams said he is unwilling to do, even at the expense of recruiting.
During his first season at Connecticut
, Gay was a co-winner (with Jeff Green
of Georgetown University
) of the 2005 Big East Conference
Freshman of the Year award. Gay was also named the National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News
.
In the summer of 2005, Gay was invited to play for the USA's Men's Under-21 World Championship Team. He posted one double-double while averaging 10.5 points a game and 5.5 rebounds.
Before his sophomore season began, Gay was nominated as Big East Preseason player of the year, along with Syracuse
star, Gerry McNamara
. After the season concluded, Gay was one of four division one college players nominated for the Naismith College Player of the Year
Award (along with J. J. Redick, Adam Morrison
, and Allan Ray
). Also, he was a unanimous selection to the Big East's First Team. He tallied his career high in points with 28 versus Arkansas
in the second game of the 2005–2006 season. Gay led the UConn Huskies to a 30–3 record, often the highest scorer, before losing to #11 seed George Mason
in overtime, 86–84.
. He was selected with the 8th overall pick in the draft by the Houston Rockets
, who then traded him and Stromile Swift
to Memphis Grizzlies
in exchange for Shane Battier
.
was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
during the season, he became the team's leading scorer. The Grizzlies still ended up with the same record as the previous year.
After his invitation to the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest
, Gay and YouTube
teamed up for the Rudy Gay Slam Dunk Contest promotion, in which he asked fans to upload footage of their best dunks for him to attempt during the contest. During the contest he performed a one handed reverse clutch dunk in the first round and during the second round teammate Mike Conley Jr. alley-ooped the ball off the bar and from behind the backboard Gay regathered and pulled off a windmill dunk. He ended with a score of 85 but did not advance to the second round. He was invited to participate in a second dunk contest during the 2009 All-Star Weekend, but was replaced by J.R. Smith
due to injuries.
On December 13, 2009, Gay scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat
.
On July 1, 2010, Gay re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies
for a contract worth $82 million over 5 years.
2004–2005 (UCONN Freshman)
2005–2006 (UCONN Sophomore)
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Memphis
| 78 || 43 || 27.0 || .422 || .364 || .727 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .9 || .9 || 10.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Memphis
| 81 || 81 || 37.0 || .461 || .346 || .785 || 6.2 || 2.0 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 20.1
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Memphis
| 79 || 78 || 37.3 || .453 || .351 || .767 || 5.5 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .8 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" |Memphis
| 80 || 80 || 39.7 || .466 || .327 || .752 || 5.9 || 1.9 || 1.5 || .8 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" |Memphis
| 54 || 54 || 39.9 || .471 || .396 || .805 || 6.2 || 2.8 || 1.7 || 1.1 || 19.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 372 || 336 || 36.0 || .457 || .352 || .768 || 5.6 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .9 || 17.8
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. He played collegiately
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at the University of Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
before turning pro.
Early life
Gay was one of five siblings and began playing competitive recreational basketball at 12 years old in the Turner Station community of Baltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
in one of the toughest youth basketball leagues in the area. Early exposure to Baltimore AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
basketball and summer league games in the Tom Jones Youth Summer League in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, showcased his abilities against top competition.
At the age of 14, Gay began playing for the nationally-known Cecil-Kirk AAU program under Coach Anthony Lewis with other blue-chip players such as Josh Boone
Josh Boone
Oscar Joshua "Josh" Boone is an American professional basketball player. He was a forward–center for the Connecticut Huskies, where he played for three years. He declared for the 2006 NBA Draft after his junior season, forgoing his final year of college...
(UConn), Paris Carter (N Mexico), and Chester Frazier (Illinois). During the spring of his 8th grade year, Gay and teammate Scott Dozier were highly sought after by several private schools. Gay attended Eastern Technical High School
Eastern Technical High School
Eastern Technical High School is a 1997, 2009, and 2010 Maryland Blue Ribbon High School a 2010 National Blue Ribbon High School, and a 1999 USDE New American High School located in Essex, Baltimore County, Maryland. Along with their regular classes, students enrolled at this magnet school...
in Baltimore County, while Dozier enrolled at the St. Paul's School. Rudy transferred to Archbishop Spalding High School
Archbishop Spalding High School
Archbishop Spalding High School is a private, Catholic co-educational high school located in Severn, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. Most of its students live in Annapolis, Crownsville, Arnold, Pasadena, Severna Park, Crofton, Millersville, Glen Burnie, or...
of the Baltimore Catholic League
Baltimore Catholic League
The Baltimore Catholic League , locally known as the Catholic League is a competitive basketball association composed of private Catholic high schools in the Baltimore, Maryland geographic area.- History :...
after his sophomore year at Eastern Tech.
High school career
Gay played his first two years at Baltimore County's Eastern Technical High SchoolEastern Technical High School
Eastern Technical High School is a 1997, 2009, and 2010 Maryland Blue Ribbon High School a 2010 National Blue Ribbon High School, and a 1999 USDE New American High School located in Essex, Baltimore County, Maryland. Along with their regular classes, students enrolled at this magnet school...
, a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
in Essex
Essex, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 39,078 people, 15,952 households, and 10,336 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,104.1 people per square mile . There were 16,997 housing units at an average density of 1,785.1 per square mile...
. He played varsity basketball both years. Although Eastern Tech was a Blue Ribbon academic institution, Gay's parents were concerned about his college preparation and during the summer of his sophomore year solicited help from Coach Collins who suggested several private schools, including Archbishop Spalding High School. After reviewing each school's long term academic curriculum, it was decided that Gay would attend Spalding. Gay began playing for Spalding his Junior and senior years. He was one of the top recruits entering college play after attending Archbishop Spalding High School where he was 1st team All-Baltimore Catholic League
Baltimore Catholic League
The Baltimore Catholic League , locally known as the Catholic League is a competitive basketball association composed of private Catholic high schools in the Baltimore, Maryland geographic area.- History :...
honors as a junior and senior, and was also honored as the Baltimore Sun's co-player of the year. He was the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American, and a Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
First Team All-American in his senior year after averaging 21.2 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks.
Gay's college recruitment and decision to attend the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
over the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
were controversial. Gay had expressed a desire to attend Maryland and said that he grew up rooting for the team, but he ultimately chose UConn. Because of the heavy involvement of an AAU coach and a high school coach, there was the appearance of impropriety, although no NCAA recruiting violations were discovered. The NCAA adopted a new scheduling rule after UConn paid $25,000 to schedule a game against the Beltway Ballers, an ad hoc AAU team that consisted of Gay's former teammates. Although it violated no standing rule at the time, media observers and Connecticut staff considered it directly connected to the recruitment. According to individuals close to Maryland head coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
, the recruitment demonstrated that rule bending is often necessary to secure highly touted players, which Williams said he is unwilling to do, even at the expense of recruiting.
College career
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, Gay was a co-winner (with Jeff Green
Jeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
) of the 2005 Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Freshman of the Year award. Gay was also named the National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
.
In the summer of 2005, Gay was invited to play for the USA's Men's Under-21 World Championship Team. He posted one double-double while averaging 10.5 points a game and 5.5 rebounds.
Before his sophomore season began, Gay was nominated as Big East Preseason player of the year, along with Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
star, Gerry McNamara
Gerry McNamara
Gerry McNamara Sucks because he did not get drafted into the NBA.Gerry McNamara is a former American basketball player and current graduate assistant coach. He is a former guard for the Syracuse University men's team, from 2002 to 2006...
. After the season concluded, Gay was one of four division one college players nominated for the Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
Award (along with J. J. Redick, Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda....
, and Allan Ray
Allan Ray
Allan Ray is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the French team Pau-Orthez. He played college basketball for four years at Villanova University. He played one season with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
). Also, he was a unanimous selection to the Big East's First Team. He tallied his career high in points with 28 versus Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in the second game of the 2005–2006 season. Gay led the UConn Huskies to a 30–3 record, often the highest scorer, before losing to #11 seed George Mason
George Mason Patriots
The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University. The school's athletic program includes 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports, consisting of 11 men's and 11 women's teams...
in overtime, 86–84.
Draft
Gay, widely regarded as one of the top future NBA prospects, announced on April 17 that he would enter the 2006 NBA Draft2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
. He was selected with the 8th overall pick in the draft by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, who then traded him and Stromile Swift
Stromile Swift
Stromile Swift is a former American professional basketball player. At 6'10" and 220 lbs, he played the power forward and center positions.- College and early NBA career :...
to Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in exchange for Shane Battier
Shane Battier
Shane Courtney Battier is an American professional basketball player . He most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. He has also been a member of the U.S...
.
Memphis Grizzlies
Gay averaged 10.8 points per game to help the Grizzlies win 22 games in 2007. In 2007–2008, Gay's second season, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game; After Pau GasolPau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
during the season, he became the team's leading scorer. The Grizzlies still ended up with the same record as the previous year.
After his invitation to the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest
Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
, Gay and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
teamed up for the Rudy Gay Slam Dunk Contest promotion, in which he asked fans to upload footage of their best dunks for him to attempt during the contest. During the contest he performed a one handed reverse clutch dunk in the first round and during the second round teammate Mike Conley Jr. alley-ooped the ball off the bar and from behind the backboard Gay regathered and pulled off a windmill dunk. He ended with a score of 85 but did not advance to the second round. He was invited to participate in a second dunk contest during the 2009 All-Star Weekend, but was replaced by J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith
Earl Smith III, known as J. R. Smith , is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China...
due to injuries.
On December 13, 2009, Gay scored a career-high 41 points against the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
.
On July 1, 2010, Gay re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
for a contract worth $82 million over 5 years.
Statistics
2003–2004 (High School Senior)- 21.2 Points Per Game
- 9.2 Rebounds Per Game
- 3.7 Blocks Per Game
2004–2005 (UCONN Freshman)
- 11.4 Points Per Game
- 5.4 Rebounds Per Game
- 1.5 Assists Per Game
- 1.9 Blocks Per Game
2005–2006 (UCONN Sophomore)
- 15.2 Points Per Game
- 6.4 Rebounds Per Game
- 2.1 Assists Per Game
- 1.6 Blocks Per Game
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
| 78 || 43 || 27.0 || .422 || .364 || .727 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .9 || .9 || 10.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Memphis
| 81 || 81 || 37.0 || .461 || .346 || .785 || 6.2 || 2.0 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 20.1
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Memphis
| 79 || 78 || 37.3 || .453 || .351 || .767 || 5.5 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .8 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" |Memphis
| 80 || 80 || 39.7 || .466 || .327 || .752 || 5.9 || 1.9 || 1.5 || .8 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" |Memphis
| 54 || 54 || 39.9 || .471 || .396 || .805 || 6.2 || 2.8 || 1.7 || 1.1 || 19.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 372 || 336 || 36.0 || .457 || .352 || .768 || 5.6 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .9 || 17.8