Inside The Jazz

Former Jazz Player Rudy Gay Announces Retirement

Happy trails to Rudy Gay and congratulations on a successful 17-year NBA career.

Chad Jensen

Dec 31, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward-guard Rudy Gay (22) reacts after fouling Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo (not pictured) under the basket during the first quarter at Vivint Arena.
Dec 31, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward-guard Rudy Gay (22) reacts after fouling Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo (not pictured) under the basket during the first quarter at Vivint Arena. / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
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A former Utah Jazz player has announced his retirement. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that Rudy Gay is hanging it up.

"After 17 NBA seasons, Rudy Gay is retiring. Gay, the No. 8 pick in the 2006 Draft out of UConn, averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds across 1,120 career games for the Grizzlies, Raptors, Kings, Spurs and Jazz," Charania reported.

The portion of Gay's career spent in Utah spanned 2021-23. He signed in August of 2021 and nearly two years later, he was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks as part of the John Collins trade.

Eight days later, Gay was traded to the Golden State Warriors. Less than a month later, Golden State waived him.

Gay's last NBA action was in the 2022-23 season with the Jazz, where he averaged 14.6 minutes per game, 5.2 points, and 2.9 rebounds.

Gay's role with the Jazz diminished somewhat in his final year. Under Quin Snyder, Gay averaged nearly 19 minutes per game and 8.1 points.

The roster shuffling of the 2022 offseason, which saw Snyder replaced by Will Hardy, and Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert traded away, affected Gay somewhat. But Gay was always reliable in what role the Jazz gave him.

The former UConn star rides off into the sunset with 17 NBA seasons under his belt and $181 million in career earnings. Happy trails.

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Chad Jensen
CHAD JENSEN

Chad Jensen is the Publisher of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. Jensen also covers the NFL as the Publisher of the No. 1 team site on the SI.com network — Mile High Huddle — as well as Horseshoe Huddle. 

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