"Built Different" | Rudy Gay Overcomes The Odds On And Off The Court

“He was the blessing that we always wanted.”

When most kids are growing up, they’re often asked what they want to be when they’re older — and you get the typical answers of astronaut, fireman, and professional athlete. 

While it’s always cute to hear kids say those words, sometimes the universe has different plans — especially when growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore is known as a dog-eat-dog world where you either make it big or don’t make it at all.

So when Rae Gay noticed her six-year-old son sleeping with a basketball, she didn’t know if he was ever going to make it big. But she did know that he was different.

“Once he acquired the interest, he slept with a basketball,” Rae said of her son. “I would wake him up in the morning for school and pull the covers back, and there would be a basketball. He would literally sleep with a basketball.”

It turns out she was right — Rudy Gay is as different as they come. 

“I felt like early on that was my life, and [what] I always wanted to be,” Rudy said with a smile when reminded of his mom’s memories. “I guess there are literal dreams of playing basketball or having a basketball in my hand. Sometimes at night I work on my form, just shooting the ball in the air. … I got in trouble a lot because it would hit the ceiling and we had people living above us.”

Rudy knew what he wanted to be from a young age — a professional basketball player. Next, it was just a matter of working hard enough to achieve that goal.

Growing up in Baltimore, Rudy figured out early on that his life would go one of two ways. He was either going to accomplish his dreams and make it to the NBA, or he was going to end up in a place that he and his family wouldn’t be proud of.

“Baltimore is a different, different kind of city,” Rudy said. “I mean, it’s kind of the strongest survive. … It’s not just physically, it’s mentally too. There’s a lot of distractions that happen, and it got a lot of my friends. But I was just one of the ones that, no matter what, it just made me more hungry the more things got in my way. It just made me want to focus more on basketball.”

So while most kids figured out life on their own in the 443, Rudy came from a family full of love and support, which ensured he didn’t go down the wrong path. 

His family made sure to keep him busy with sports. Whether it was shooting hoops at his grandma’s house or playing baseball on city-wide teams, Rudy always had something to do. 

But in those rare moments where his family wasn’t around, there was another person who stepped up and “saved his life.”

Anthony “Doodie” Lewis was as central a figure in Rudy’s life as any of his closest friends and family. He was the first to recognize Rudy’s talent on the court, telling Rae that her son was a legit “NBA prospect” before anyone else knew what Rudy would become. 

More than just recognizing talent, Lewis was someone Rudy could trust and rely on. If there was any trouble, Lewis always knew about it and would help make it right.

“I wouldn’t be here without him,” an emotional and stoic Rudy said of Lewis. “What he did in the city of Baltimore, he saved so many kids’ lives like myself. I would be across town doing God knows what and he would call me. … He’d know I probably shouldn’t be there, and he’s just come pick me up.”

Before he would star in college and the NBA, Rudy had to prove that he could be on the court with some of the best players Baltimore had to offer. He did just that, starring for Archbishop Spalding High School and leading the team to a state title. 

The next step in his basketball career came at heralded UConn under legendary head coach Jim Calhoun. After two years as a Husky, his last resulting in a first-team All-American nomination, Rudy declared for the NBA draft — accomplishing that goal he set for himself all those years ago. 

“I can actually say that when I met him, this is exactly what he wanted to be,” Rudy’s childhood best friend Devin Ferguson said. “This is the dream he wanted. He was like, ‘One day I’m going to make it to the NBA, I’m going to be a professional basketball player’.”

Rudy Gay with his first points as a Jazzman #TakeNote | @RudyGay pic.twitter.com/OnTRCALTf3

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 19, 2021

Chosen eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, Rudy was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he would play for the next six seasons. He was an integral part of Memphis’ “Grit and Grind” era, where his high-level scoring and tenacious defense made him one of the premier small forwards in the game. 

After spending two halves of a season in Toronto, Rudy was traded to Sacramento during the middle of the 2013-14 season. He continued his progression into one of the top players in the NBA over the next couple of seasons, using his elite athleticism and size to create mismatches and dominance in the midrange. 

But all that hard work that Rudy had put in over the previous two decades came crashing down on January 18, 2017. In the third quarter against the Pacers, Gay collapsed to the ground after suffering a torn Achilles.

At 30 years old, it was unknown if Rudy would be able to return to the court — and even then, how would a player who made so much of his success based on his athleticism find that same success following a traumatic and significant injury?

But just like he refused to be swayed from his goals of making it to the league as a young boy, Rudy refused to let anyone dictate his future other than himself.

Exactly 10 months to the day when he was carried off the court, Rudy made his return to the game. Since that moment, he has morphed from a player who relied on his athleticism to one who now uses his IQ and shooting ability to thrive.

“You’ve got to be a little different. … And I’m a little different,” Rudy said.

came to play!!!
20p | 5r | 2a#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/n6Lg3wB779

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 19, 2021

Like his mom Rae, his former coach Doodie, and Ferguson, Rudy was right — he is built differently, and it’s showing these days in the Mountain West. 

Rudy has emerged as a key contributor for a Utah team looking to bring the city of Salt Lake its first-ever championship.

Averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game, Rudy’s contributions go far beyond the stat sheet. His veteran leadership, ability to guard multiple positions and mere presence have given the Jazz something they’ve been missing the last few seasons.

In the end though, regardless of a championship or not, Rudy will leave a legacy that will last a lifetime. The kid who slept with a basketball growing up and didn’t let the streets of Baltimore define him is now one of the city’s most accomplished athletes and role models. 

Not bad for a kid who was “the blessing” his family always wanted.