Rudy Gay never wanted to come to Toronto.
The now-retired former Raptor was very clear about that during an interview this week.
Gay, who was traded to the Raptors from the Memphis Grizzlies in January 2013, told the 7PM in Brooklyn show that he had no desire to head north of the border and that if he wanted to get traded, “Why the f*** would I go to Toronto?”
“It ain’t my fault y’all traded me, man, I ain’t have no control over that,” he said of Memphis. “If I did, I damn sure wouldn’t go to Toronto. You know what I’m saying? You think I wanted to go to Toronto? … If I wanted to get traded, why the f*** would I go to Toronto?”
***LANGUAGE WARNING***
The Raptors hoped adding Gay to their core with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan would push the team to the next level while sending fan-favourite Jose Calderon and former first-round pick Ed Davis to Memphis.
However, while Gay averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with Toronto, the team traded him away in December 2013.
The Raptors sent Gay to the Sacramento Kings for John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes — a package of players that provided the team much-needed depth and helped spark a run towards their first playoff berth in five years that spring.
Without Gay, the Raptors made seven straight trips to the post-season, winning the championship in 2019. Gay played just 12 playoff games after leaving the Raptors, with his teams losing in the first round on both occasions.
Reactions online to Gay’s interview were quick to point out how much he actually hurt the teams that he played for as opposed to helping.
Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange noted that trading away Gay helped improve both the Grizzlies and Raptors.
One user on X ripped Gay for having a ton of talent, but remaining a mediocre player.
Another user summed up Gay’s time in Toronto by pointing out that everyone knows how the story ended for the Raptors, adding a gif of Lowry holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy during the team’s championship parade.
Gay played out his career with the Kings, Spurs and Jazz before retiring following the 2022-23 season — his 16th season in the NBA. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game over the course of his career.