So, of course, they would think they would do better without me since I’ve been there the whole time. “It was to be expected because this was the furthest the team had gone in their existence in Memphis. Their success had people questioning Gay's value to the franchise. When the surgery was done I had no chance.”Īfter beating the Spurs, the Grizzlies lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a tough seven-game series in the second round. Coach and the trainers told me maybe I should think about just getting the surgery. “But when I tried to work myself back in, I realized how far away I was and how bad it was. “I considered trying to come back and not have the surgery,” Gay said. Led by Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies played well without Gay, making the playoffs for the first time since 2006. 15, 2010 and eventually had season-ending surgery. Last season began promisingly enough after the Grizzlies gave him a max contract, but he dislocated his left shoulder on Feb. Gay developed into an impressive scorer during his first four seasons with Memphis, but that wasn’t enough to get the franchise to the playoffs. 'It would mean a lot for me to make the playoffs to show how good this team is – not just me – and how much of an impact I could have on it.” “People were saying they did it without me,' Gay said.
