Rudy Carlton Gay, Jr. (born August 17, 1986 in
Baltimore,
Maryland) 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.
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, Maryland 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.
High school career
Gay played his first two years at
Baltimore County's
Eastern Technical High School, a
magnet school in
Essex. He played varsity basketball both years. Although Eastern Tech was a Blue Ribbon academic institution, Gay's parents were...
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