If you want to succeed in the NBA, it's not enough to have strong physical talent, but also to have a high ball quotient, discipline and hard work. There are many players in the league who have been ridiculed as "superstars below the neck", just like McGee, J.R. Smith, Beasley and others. He was a superstar in the early days, but in the end he didn't fully realize his talent. The same goes for Rudy Gay, who also has a lot of physical talent, made $180 million without being an All-Star, and has a good wife.
Rudy Gay was drafted in 2006 with the 8th pick that year. With a height of 2.03 meters, he has outstanding arms, strong athleticism, and good potential at both ends of the floor. He started his career with the Grizzlies, averaging 10.8 points per game in his rookie season, and in his sophomore year, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game. For a 21-year-old sophomore, he is definitely a superstar embryo, and he has also become the absolute core of the Grizzlies.
Since then, Gay's performances have been consistent, averaging 19 points per game for four consecutive seasons, while comfortably earning a max contract. But Guy couldn't go any further, hovering between an average star and an All-Star. After leaving the Grizzlies, he also averaged 19.6 points per game with the Raptors. He later joined the Kings. In 15 years, he averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and his performance was good enough, but there were too many top small forwards in the league, so Guy was never selected as an All-Star.
After that, Guy slowly began to slide. At the beginning of '17, he transitioned to the bench, averaging 11.5 points per game. After four years with the Spurs, the average points per game finally fell below 10 points. Switching to the Jazz in '22, he averaged 8.1 points per game, and last season he averaged 5.2 points per game. Although Gay didn't get a chance to play this season, he could still get a salary of $6.48 million. In his 18-year career, Guy has earned a cumulative salary of $180 million.
As the No. 8 pick, Guy can be regarded as cashing in on his talent, at his peak he was a quasi-All-Star level, and his salary of 180 million is also a superstar level, which is definitely a success.
Guy is successful enough on the field, and Guy is a winner in life off the field. He is now 37 years old and close to retirement. And he also has a happy family, his wife is beautiful and hot, and he has been in love with Guy for many years. From the peak to the trough, his wife has always been by his side. The two have a good relationship and often show affection on social platforms, and Guy often travels with his wife. They also have 2 lovely children, who also have excellent talent and have a great chance to impact the NBA in the future.