Rudy Gay: Joining Spurs 'was a do-or-die point in my career'

Rudy Gay hasn't been part of a winning organization since he left the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013.

So when he had his pick of the litter in free agency this summer, Gay chose to join the San Antonio Spurs on a bargain two-year deal because he wanted to get back to winning following four miserable years in Sacramento.

"I think it was a do-or-die point in my career," Gay told Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express News. "I wanted to be with an organization that was known for winning and can help me raise my game to the next level."

Gay was rather candid in his introductory interview on Wednesday. The 31-year-old rediscovered his motivation for playing basketball while rehabbing his torn Achilles. Sharing conversations with Kobe Bryant - who suffered the same injury - helped Gay get back into the right mindset.

"I kind of lost that. This injury really made me train like that. I was mad. I trained mad. I trained like an animal," Gay said.

His only goal is to help the Spurs win another championship. Gay says he's even willing to change his game and come off the bench if that's what Gregg Popovich asks of him, even though he's started nearly every game of his career since his rookie season.

"Whatever it takes. If I'm a sixth man, I'm going to be the best sixth man in the league. If I'm a starter, I'm going to try and be one of the best small forwards in the league. That's just the type of player I am."

Gay averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season connecting on 37.2 percent from deep while splitting time between small and power forward.