The NBA is a very small world. Many of the players guys face off against were teammates in one way or another at some point in their careers. Be it AAU, McDonald’s All-American games, college, Team USA or the NBA, the faces you compete against are familiar.
For the Sacramento Kings’ Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors, those bonds were formed by happenstance. According to Gay, the two met before a trip to China a few years back, even before their 51-game stint together in Toronto during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Something clicked and the two became extremely close.
“Playing with him, I learned so much from him on the court and off the court,” DeRozan told Cowbell Kingdom. “He was always one of those guys that I always watched coming up, going through college while he was playing for Memphis.”
DeRozan said that both he and Gay are both Leos and added: “We’ve got similar ways. I understand him and he understands me to a high level.”
The pair were reunited this summer with Team USA. With the national team reeling from the catastrophic injury to Paul George, followed by the departure of reigning MVP Kevin Durant, Gay picked up the phone and asked USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo if there was anyway he could help.
“I think he understood what the team needed, especially after Paul went down and KD (Kevin Durant) dropped out,” DeRozan said. “I think it was just a perfect opportunity for him to jump in and fill both of those roles that we were missing. He stepped up to the plate and asked Jerry Colangelo if he can be a part of the team and I think it was a great move on his part.”
Gay had already experienced victory, winning gold at the 2010 World Championships and had logged nearly 30 games in international play dating back to 2005. But he felt a call to action and joined DeRozan and Sacramento Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins for the World Cup in Spain.
“He gave up his summer and sacrificed his time, especially with a newborn son that he had, to help us,” DeRozan added.
Gay quickly stole away a rotational spot on the team and played the role of veteran mentor for a very young squad. And he picked up another gold medal for his troubles. Playing together again with the national team also fortified his friendship with DeRozan.
“We’re like brothers,” Gay told Cowbell Kingdom. “Honestly, we got even closer (playing with Team USA). It’s good to see him have success.”
Following Sacramento’s win over Toronto on Tuesday, Gay hustled out of the locker room early to meet with DeRozan and a few of the his former Raptors teammates. When things aren’t going well for DeRozan, he knows he always has a friend and mentor just a phone call away.
“I’ve always been a fan of his and I’ve become a great friend of his and listen to him and take advice from (Gay),” DeRozan said. “Being able to call him whenever there’s an issue or whatever.”
The NBA life is a busy one and stealing a moment with a buddy that lives on the opposite coast isn’t always easy. DeRozan was set to fly home to Toronto, while Gay and the Kings were on their way to China the next morning. They will meet again in December when the Raptors come back to Sacramento.
While DeRozan has lifted his game to All-Star status in Toronto, Gay has shifted his mentorship to Nik Stauskas and Ben McLemore in Sacramento. Both just 21-years of age, the Kings’ young shooting guards need help transitioning to the NBA life on and off the floor.
It’s the life-cycle of an NBA player. Young men come into the league. They need a big brother to show them the ropes. Eventually they become the veteran in the locker room and the cycle is repeated.
For DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay, basketball helped create a bond and a friendship that will last a lifetime.
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