March 17
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Griz owner Michael Heisley told a group of season ticket holders that the team intends to match any offer Gay might receive as a restricted free agent this summer. Heisley spoke before the game at the team's annual "State of the Franchise" Chalk Talk where season ticket holders could ask questions."
March 13
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Since the NBA's trade deadline passed in February, Rudy Gay has been asked the same question from beat writers who are following teams that are expected to big players in free agency. Would you be willing to play for (insert team here)? Gay, a restricted free agent this summer, has mostly been accommodating with his answers. "It's just part of the business," Gay said. "Like I've said, I'd like to be here. But, you know, this is the NBA. It's a business." There are at least eight teams that will have significant money to spend on free agents in the offseason. So far Gay has answered questions dealing with free agency from media in New York, where articles have speculated that Gay could be ..."
February 26
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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When ALSAC, the fundraising arm for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, approached Grizzlies star Rudy Gay about being an ambassador for its Hoops for St. Jude fundraising program, his response was as quick and swift as one of his fast-break dunks. "They asked me and I immediately did it," Gay said. "I like doing things for kids. It gives me a chance to do things for kids. You don't always know who needs it, but St. Jude's is a part of my heart. The fact that it's in Memphis is a plus." Gay is one of six NBA players who have pledged $20,000 for Hoops for St. Jude, a basketball program created for NBA players, fans and schoolchildren to support the work of St. Jude through several ..."
February 11
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The future of USA Basketball is getting a face lift. And the Grizzlies could figure prominently in the makeover. Griz forward Rudy Gay and guard O.J. Mayo were selected Wednesday for a pool of 27 players who will eventually comprise the USA Basketball Men's National Team. The Grizzlies duo, along with former University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose, will participate in a Las Vegas minicamp in July. USA Basketball will thenplayers from the pool to finalize a team that will compete in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey starting Aug. 28 -- all of which is a precursor to the 2012 Olympics in London. "It's one of the things I wanted to do in my career," Gay said. "I'm definitely honored to ..."
December 27
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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In an age when it seems NBA players mostly declare their disinterest in the slam dunk competition, Griz forward Rudy Gay said he would like to be a participant. "I want to redeem myself," Gay said. "I felt like I didn't really perform like I wanted to the last time." However, Gay hasn't received an invitation from the league. One of Gay's NBA buddies, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, was invited to participate but turned down the opportunity. "I don't jump high enough for those guys," Durant said. "Shannon Brown, LeBron (James), Rudy Gay, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, they're like all the way at the top of the mountain. I'm all the way at the bottom, trying to climb my way up." Durant said he ..."
December 17
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies began this week with a high-performance road victory in which they revved up and rolled over Miami, leaving such deep tread marks that the Heat held a team meeting in search of recovery. The best way to sum up Memphis' latest outing away from FedExForum? Box score Hawks 110, Grizzlies 97 It was simply a clunker as the Grizzlies sputtered throughout a 110-97 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night in Philips Arena. Memphis, loser of two straight games, watched high-flying Atlanta cruise to the basket for 33 points off its 20 turnovers. With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Griz coach Lionel Hollins tried finding a workable gear. But a lineup that featured none of the ..."
December 11
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Rudy Gay delivered a few impressive defensive stops a few nights ago against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thursday night, the Grizzlies' forward flourished with the green light to give as Gay and his teammates participated in the team's annual holiday toy drive. The Grizzlies' players and coaching staff greeted fans and accepted toys at the Hilton to benefit MIFA's Holiday Hope Chest, which provides gifts for families during the holidays. The first 1,000 fans that contributed received autographs from Grizzlies players. It was the second consecutive night that Gay extended a charitable arm to the community. Gay spent Wednesday night with 100 kids -- participants in Memphis Athletic Ministries' ..."
December 1
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies played Monday night without two starters — forward Rudy Gay and point guard Mike Conley. Conley dressed but wasn't available due to the left shoulder strain he suffered Sunday in the team's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Gay left the team to attend a funeral for a family member in his hometown of Baltimore. Griz coach Lionel Hollins inserted rookie swingman Sam Young and veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley into the starting lineup in place of Gay and Conley. Gay asked for and received permission to board a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Baltimore Sunday following the Grizzlies' game against the Clippers. He is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday when it concludes a ..."
November 24
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal sat courtside about 90 minutes before tip-off, watching his players — a group that makes up the NBA's third-youngest team — while sizing up the league's youngest squad. Game stats Grizzlies 116, Kings 105 "They," Westphal said about the Grizzlies, "are going to be really good." Westphal finished the sentiment with this caveat: As soon as the Griz learn how to win. The Griz have earned high marks in certain areas and wins to go with them over the past week. Monday night, they used the Kings to draw up a 116-105 victory — their fourth in five games. An announced crowd of 10,109 in FedExForum saw the Grizzlies rebound from a bad loss against Milwaukee last ..."
November 21
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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O.J. Mayo tried to find an angle to the hoop from the left side, but he sensed a double-team coming. And against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, he knew exactly where to look. "He was wide open," Mayo said, highlighting the 76ers' biggest gaffe of the night. How could anyone leave Rudy Gay open at the tail end of that performance? Gay took Mayo's pass and swished a tear-drop 20-foot jumper that sealed the Grizzlies' 102-97 victory at the Wachovia Center. The 76ers, showered with boos by a flabbergasted crowd of 14,269, called for timeout as Gay jogged to the bench and jumped one last time, chest-bumping teammate Hamed Haddadi, who showed some surprising hops. "I've got to talk to him ..."
November 19
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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They locked themselves in a room. No coaches allowed. The Grizzlies players recently held a no-frills, private party with only a television, DVD player and plenty of burning issues to air out. That players-only film session is what the Grizzlies mostly credited Wednesday night for inspiring their first two-game winning streak this season as a result of a 106-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in FedExForum. Memphis led from start to finish thanks to their most thorough effort since a victory against Toronto nearly a month ago. Displaying dreamy ball movement on offense and improved effort defensively, the Griz suddenly are playing like they watch game reruns: Together. "The meeting ..."
November 3
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Fourth-year forward Rudy Gay and the Grizzlies failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the NBA deadline. Negotiations broke off Monday evening so Gay will become a restricted free agent next summer. The Griz still can match any offer sheet Gay signs. The parties had until 10:59 p.m. CST Monday to strike a deal. "We've agreed to not agree," said Jeff Austin, Gay's agent. "We looked at different ways we might try to get something done and we weren't able to agree." An NBA source said the Grizzlies' final offer was a five-year deal worth about $50 million. Gay was asking for a deal similar to Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge (five years, $65 million with incentives), ..."
November 2
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The scoreboard wasn't all that provided fireworks in what turned out to be a shootout Sunday night between the Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies had to douse an explosive shouting match between O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay on their bench before the end of a 133-123 loss in a wildly entertaining affair at the Pepsi Center. Mayo tossed in a career-high 40 points only to have the performance overshadowed by Nuggets' forward Carmelo Anthony's 42-point outburst, and somewhat marred by an incident during a late fourth-quarter timeout. Denver kept Memphis at arms length in the fourth quarter, never allowing the Griz to get closer than five points. Gay took exception when Mayo made a strong ..."
November 1
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Time is expiring on Rudy Gay and the Grizzlies as it relates to working out a contract extension. But Gay isn't watching the clock. While Gay's agent, Jeff Austin, continues to discuss his client's long-term future with the franchise, the 6-8 forward remains indifferent. "I'm not concerned about that," Gay said. "If it happens it happens. If not I'm looking forward to being a (restricted) free agent. It's hasn't been my focus. My focus is playing games like (Friday night) and getting wins." The Griz, fresh off a 115-107 victory over Toronto, boarded a flight Saturday for Denver where they'll begin a five-game road trip tonight in the Pepsi Center. The NBA extended a deadline for contract ..."
October 16
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Unless there is significant progress in negotiations, it appears the Grizzlies and forward Rudy Gay will not agree to a long-term contract extension before the Oct. 31 deadline. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said Thursday that the discussions, while amicable, are about where they've been since the summer. Wallace has negotiated with Gay's agent, Jeff Austin, since July 1. They have met in Las Vegas, Memphis and briefly in Richmond, Va., where the Griz played a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. Wallace would not characterize their most recent talks, and it is not known where each side stands with regard to total compensation. "We've had our discussions. We'll have ..."
September 1
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Rudy Gay wants to be an NBA All-Star. That's nothing new. He said the same thing last year. The difference now for the Grizzlies' 6-8 forward could be the strength behind his words. Gay carries, by his estimation, about 15 pounds of added muscle. He'll tell you his level of focus is immeasurable behind a strong showing during USA Basketball's July minicamp. His desire to elevate the Grizzlies is off the charts with training camp less than a month away and three consecutive losing seasons in the rearview mirror. "I want to be an All-Star. Everything I do now is trying to help me get to that point," Gay said. "If I'm at the top of my game and recognized as an All-Star, it'll mean we're ..."
March 20
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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One of the Grizzlies' offseason priorities will be to sign Rudy Gay to a contract extension. That springtime fact already puts the organization and Gay on the same page for what could be a busy summer. While the 6-8 forward is focused on finishing this regular season on a strong note, Gay has one eye on his future. And Gay said his offseason goal is to work out a deal that keeps him as an integral part of the Grizzlies' rebuilding. "As a player and a person, I want to be set going into next season," Gay said as the Griz prepared to play a road game tonight against the New Orleans Hornets. "I want to be comfortable and work on trying to be an All-Star. So yeah, (an extension) is important ..."
February 22
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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When Lionel Hollins took over as Grizzlies coach, he immediately went one-on-one with a few players. Forward Rudy Gay was among the first to visit with Hollins, who threw out an intriguing question to one of the franchise's cornerstones. "I asked him if he went 2-for-14 shooting, could he still help the team win?" Hollins recalled. "That's a question I would ask all talented, young players. Can you help us win if the ball is not in your hands and not going in?" Gay didn't hesitate, delivering a quick "no" that was probably worthy of a locker-room technical foul. "I thought it was a trick question at first," Gay said sheepishly. "I was thinking if you go 2-for-14 and you keep shooting, ..."
December 31
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Rudy Gay entered Tuesday night's contest against the Phoenix Suns in a shooting funk. The Grizzlies' forward shot 32.8 percent over the last four games, which included going 5-of-18 for the field against both Minnesota and San Antonio. "Right now, I'm searching for good shots," Gay said. "I play a lot better when I let the game come to me." Griz coach Marc Iavaroni agreed, saying players tend to lose rhythm when they put added pressure on themselves to score. "We're trying to get him going offensively," Iavaroni said. "Part of the problem is when you're trying to find something you lose sight of other things. We've talked about it. He's just got to make sure he's not trying too hard on ..."
December 9
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Gay wasn't with the starting unit for the first time this season. Veteran swingman Quinton Ross took his place and promptly sank a 3-pointer to score the game's first points. From there, the Griz sustained a scrappy effort long enough to win their second straight home game. They built a 22-point lead in the first half and withstood Houston's third-quarter surge behind a solid and opportunistic defense, and Gay's game-high 20 points in 24 minutes off the bench. "It was just one of those days," Gay said, acknowledging that he overslept. "No matter what the lineup is people are ready. That's what we're showing right now. That's all that matters." Memphis delivered one of their most complete ..."
November 2
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies' leading shot taker entering their third game of the season was Rudy Gay, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The , fresh off his game-winning basket Friday against Orlando, had put up 17 more shots than his closest teammate, O.J. Mayo. It's a statistic that signals a bit of change in the Grizzlies' offensive philosophy under head coach Marc Iavaroni. Last season, Iavaroni shied away from featuring players with an emphasis on ball movement in a free-flowing style. The Grizzlies' offense still is predicated on ball movement, but the team's 86-84 victory over Orlando served as proof that Gay's number will be called early and often, and late and often. Asked if he ..."