Injured Spurs forward Rudy Gay says he'll be back on court ‘very soon'

SAN ANTONIO – Kawhi Leonard’s injury has been a major loss for the Spurs for a majority of the season, but another significant injury has been that of Rudy Gay.

Gay suffered a heel injury Dec. 28 at home against the New York Knicks, but he could be back on the court in the near future.

Before the injury, Gay was the team’s second leading scorer at 11.5 points per game. He is also averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.

Gay’s versatility off the bench and ability to play both forward positions has been missed by the Spurs.

The initial diagnosis was that Gay would miss two to three weeks. He has now missed the last 16 games and the Spurs have gone 8-8 in his absence. He will miss his 17th straight game when the Spurs host Denver Tuesday night.

"It’s been very tough. I’m a competitor and I haven’t watched this much basketball without being part of it, but me being able to get out there and work and progressively get better I think will help us in the long run,” Gay said on Monday at an event for Spurs fans.

Gay, unfortunately, is no stranger to the rehab process. He suffered a torn Achilles last January that forced him to miss the entire 2016-17 season when he was a member of the Kings.

It’s a similar injury that New Orleans all-star and his former teammate DeMarcus Cousins suffered Friday.

Gay was one of the first NBA players to show support on social media for Cousins and the long recovery road ahead.

Gay said the rehabilitation from his heel injury has been tough, but he is feeling better everyday.

"I’m making some great strides and I just want to be 100 percent,” Gay said.

When asked when he would return this season, Gay added it will be, “very soon, very soon."

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