Rudy (big) Gay (guy) to the Warriors...

[cullaville]

No Corny Thompson or is this not a complete list?

one more: The Poughkeepsie Popper, Wes Bialosuknia ABA Virginia Squires

 

[Chin Diesel]

No Corny Thompson or is this not a complete list?

Or Chuck Alexikinsas

There's a screen shot for the top UConn players and then a link to the full list.

 

[Connecticut13]

He averaged 15 pts per game his sophomore year. He would have definitely gone for 20 or more his Junior year. He relied on his jumper too much and he wasn’t a great shooter. If he had bulked up a bit in college, attacked the rim more and improved from outside a little bit, he’d have been a beast. Putting size, strength and talent all together into a great great product, generally happens for most guys their Junior year. He isn’t remembered like Ray, Rip, Emeka, Ben, Kemba etc. because he didn’t have that game changing evolution while at UConn.

Part of the reason he only averaged 15 a game is that there were 4 other players off that team that were drafted that year.

I don't otherwise disagree with your point -- but, as has been pointed out earlier in this thread, Rudy never seemed to possess the unquenchable hunger to win or be the best. He was happy with very good. This was true both in college and the NBA. Would he have put up monster stats if returned in 2007? Of course. It would've been him and a bunch of freshmen for the most part. Would that team have been any good? Probably not. 2007 was a rough season in any event, adding Rudy would've been made them a lot better -- but he wasn't carrying them to a championship a la Shabazz or Kemba.
FWIW, I was at UConn with Rudy and I remember him as always having a smile on his face and being a genuinely nice guy.

 

[Hoophound]

Part of the reason he only averaged 15 a game is that there were 4 other players off that team that were drafted that year.

I don't otherwise disagree with your point -- but, as has been pointed out earlier in this thread, Rudy never seemed to possess the unquenchable hunger to win or be the best. He was happy with very good. This was true both in college and the NBA. Would he have put up monster stats if returned in 2007? Of course. It would've been him and a bunch of freshmen for the most part. Would that team have been any good? Probably not. 2007 was a rough season in any event, adding Rudy would've been made them a lot better -- but he wasn't carrying them to a championship a la Shabazz or Kemba.
FWIW, I was at UConn with Rudy and I remember him as always having a smile on his face and being a genuinely nice guy.

I’m not arguing any of that. I’m saying exactly what you said, if he came back he’d have been a beast. Then he’d be remembered differently.

 

[Shamon30]

Reunited with Hilton Armstrong. I bet he never expected to be (sort of) coaching Rudy Gay in the NBA.

 

[husky8273]

No Corny Thompson or is this not a complete list?

still surprisinng Corny only played in 44 NBA games

 

[HuskyFich]

How did that video not get a like? I still laugh every time I see it.

“I’m not a big gay guy…I really like those guys that are rock solid.”

It’s an all timer lol

 

[CTBasketball]

Tough crowd here wow.

 

[REB1094]

Rudy Gay had an excellent NBA career. Top 5 in total points in franchise history, nearly $200M in contact earnings, and now he gets to spend his twilight years with free front row tickets to watch Steph Curry play

An absolute success of a life so far, congrats Rudy!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Tough crowd here wow.

There's a strong current here that passes harsh judgment on Rudy for failing to be truly great.

With no sense of pride, I locate myself in this group, and recognize that it says more about me than Rudy.

My hope is that Rudy lives well, appreciates his earned successes, and is grateful for what he has rather than feeling badly that he may not have accomplished what many of us feel he ought to have and still wish he would.

It's a pretty strange headspace he occupies, and pretty understandable, even if it confirms one of our greatest gifts as Husky fans while reflecting poorly on us by exposing that we can actually feel such disappointment & offer such criticism of one of our most talented, productive, and enduring players essentially for his not being a champion.

 

[Waquoit]

There's a strong current here that passes harsh judgment on Rudy for failing to be truly great.

Rudy never really cared. He'll be known for always being good enough to get paid when his contact came up. When he was at his best, teams got better the year after he left them. He was a good pro that never won a thing. Not harsh, imo.

 

[Stew Crew]

Rudy just wasn't here long enough for us to get his best. I wish we'd gotten one more season out of him. He would have been on another level in season 3.

I doubt it. He was focused on NBA since day 1 at UConn. Never gave 100%. The entire 2006 team was like that. Biggest underperforming team in uconn history

 

[Mr. French]

Rudy Gay seems to be a genuinely great guy, reps Huskies hard, is now known as a reliable veteran presence when he was cast as an empty stats guy with a losing mentality earlier in his career. To me, that stuff makes him awesome.

He’s also always been VERY good to great at any level since he started playing, even NBA. He’s never been a below average player.

Just because everyone wanted him to be something he maybe COULD have been doesn’t make it a disappointment.

 

[Inyatkin]

Rudy never really cared.

Wish I had your mind reading powers, sounds cool

 

[Waquoit]

Wish I had your mind reading powers, sounds cool

I don't read minds, I pick up on tells. Is cool.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Rudy never struck me as having that neurotic obsession to win that some guys do. TBH, probably not the worst thing for him as a person.

Rudy is a good guy and a nice person. Lacked killer instinct. Good player and a great teammate and has not had an issue becoming a role player mate in his career. Man. That is a very long Nba career.