Rudy Gay Reflects on Challenges and Fan Reactions During His Time with Toronto Raptors

Rudy Gay played 17 years in the NBA and was a borderline star during that time, especially during his early years with the Memphis Grizzlies. He played for five NBA teams, and it would be difficult to find fans that truly hate him, except in Canada. 

Gay was in Toronto for just under a year, getting traded there by the Memphis Grizzlies in January 2013 and subsequently getting sent to Sacramento in December of the same year. That doesn't seem like a lot of time for animosity to build up, but in a recent media appearance, Gay hilariously took some shots at Toronto.

Speaking on the Knuckleheads podcast, Gay discussed the struggles of dealing with customs when living in Toronto. He had a few complaints about that and toward the end of the segment, called out fans of the Raptors for booing him while also taking a shot at Canadians in general.

"That weak (expletive) accent they got! they hate me, I don't know why they hate me. You ever got traded from somewhere and the fans boo you? They traded me, I ain't ask for no trade."

It is strange that Gay got booed upon his return to Toronto, considering that in the half season he played there, he led the team in scoring. While it's clear that he didn't enjoy his time with the Raptors, the mutual dislike does seem to be a little unfounded. 

The Toronto Raptors have changed as an organization since, even winning the NBA championship in 2019. But Gay might still get a less-than-welcome reception north of the border.