Rudy Gay thought an NBA legend hated him

When Rudy Gay was drafted in 2006, the Houston Rockets used the 8th overall pick on him. However, that wasn’t the true plan because the UConn star would get packaged alongside Stromile Swift to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for defensive stalwart Shane Battier.

While Gay was locked in as a Grizzlies player, he felt weird when they played against the Rockets during preseason. Rudy felt Houston’s star wing player Tracy McGrady was targeting him during the first game of that preseason.

“I think he hated on me. He ain't like me 'coz I got drafted there. I guess they thought I was his replacement. So, let me tell you the story,” Gay said in an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “That was the first preseason game I played in. I come off the bench; I get in. T-Mac looking at me… This n**** gave me 40 in preseason, bro. He had only played 20 minutes.”

The weird dynamic between T-Mac and Gay

McGrady won the individual matchup between him and Gay, out-scoring the rookie 17 to 14. However, Rudy got the last laugh because Memphis won the preseason game 75 to 69. It might have felt weird because T-Mac was one of the iconic wing players for Gay growing up, but he found motivation in seeing a potential replacement get picked in the Draft.

The former UConn star and the two-time scoring champion played against each other 14 more times, splitting the series seven games apiece. McGrady out-scored Gay seven times, while Rudy did the same six times. The last was them tying each other’s point total of 17.

They might not have seen eye-to-eye during their NBA careers, but they know they were both stellar players in their primes. T-Mac would be the better player if their primes were compared, but Gay was reliable, especially for the first few seasons with the Grizzlies.

Gay became a star for the Grizzlies

After getting traded to the Grizzlies, Rudy quickly became one of the mainstays of the roster. He started 43 out of 78 games in his rookie season but broke out as a 20+ points per game scorer in his second year, starting in all 81 games he played.

He was one of the most reliable players on the Grizzlies roster until he got traded to the Toronto Raptors mid-way into the 2012/13 season. He always had nearly 20 points per game during his stay in Memphis, keeping the team competitive.

Unfortunately, Gay was not part of the Grizzlies’ phenomenal upset of the 1st-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 Playoffs. It was the most significant achievement in franchise history because it was the first-ever Playoff series victory. Rudy was still part of the team for a season and a half until he was traded to the Raptors.

Related: Jenkins knows Jackson’s development as a leader is significant for the Grizzlies