Veteran Rudy Gay retires after 17 NBA seasons

• Shams Charania, ESPNOct 29, 2024, 11:00 AM ET

Rudy Gay is retiring after 17 NBA seasons, the veteran revealed Tuesday.Gay, 38, last played in the 2022-23 season for the Utah Jazz. He had actually signed an agreement with the Golden State Warriors last summer but was waived soon before the season.

“I required to humble myself and resemble: ‘Look, this is over,’ Gay wrote in a piece for The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday. “However in fact coming to grips with it being over, that’s … a procedure. One I’m honestly still handling, and struggle with at times. I’ll still be enjoying games and see a few of these guys missing a pass or fumbling the ball out of bounds, and I definitely am that man yelling at the TV like: ‘I’m much better than that clown. Are you kidding me?!?!?’ It’s not quite.

“I’m 38 years of ages. That’s nowhere even near mid-career for many people’s professional lives. So, the method I see it, I have actually got a great deal of work ahead of me. … In the meantime, I’m just feeling incredibly grateful for all the love, knowledge, and friendship that I’ve experienced in the game of basketball.”

After starring at UConn, Gay was selected with the No. 8 choice in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets and traded a few weeks later to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he made the All-Rookie team that season. He ranks 5th in points, fourth in minutes played and 4th in games played in Grizzlies history.Gay is among

four players to typical 10 or more points from the 2006-07 season to the 2020-21 season, in addition to Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and LeBron James.Gay invested much of his profession with Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings and averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds throughout 1,120 career games(778 starts ). He also hung out with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs and, most recently, allure.”I’m the luckiest guy on the planet

,”Gay wrote.