Gordon Hayward announced his retirement from the NBA after a 14-year career, and while he spent the first seven years of his career with the Utah Jazz, the Boston Celtics sent out a congratulatory tweet to Hayward and wished him well in his retirement.
The Celtics message on X to Hayward included two photographs with current Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. In one of the photos, he is on the court with Brown and both players are smiling. In the other photo with Tatum, the pair are sharing a conversation
Hayward spent three years with the Celtics after signing with Boston as a free agent prior to the 2017-18 season, and hopes were high that Hayward would play a key role in multiple deep playoff runs for Boston. However, he suffered a horrific broken leg in his first regular-season game with the Celtics, and that injury cost him a full season.
He was able to make a comeback an play in the 2018-19 season, but he was not back to full health until the following season.
During the 2019-20 season, Hayward averaged 17.5 points per game while playing and average 33.5 minutes per game. He played in 52 games that season.
During his time with the Celtics, he was able to compete in the playoffs in 2019 and 2020. The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in their first-round matchup in '19, but they were defeated by the Bucks in five game in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The following year, the Celtics swept the 76ers in their first playoff matchup but Hayward was only able to play in one game in that series. He did not play in the next round as the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors in seven games. He returned in the Eastern Conference Finals when the Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in five games.
Hayward started his career with the Utah Jazz
He played with the Jazz for seven years after that team drafted him from Butler in 2010. He was the 9th pick in the first round of that draft.
Hayward was a double-figure scorer in all but his first season with the Jazz, and his best season came in 2016-17 when he was an All-Star. Hayward averaged 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game that year. He connected on 47.1 percent of his shots from the field and 39.8 percent of his three-point shots.
Hayward delivered an optimistic take on his NBA career as he announced his departure from the sport. “Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote. “It's been an incredible ride and I'm so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.”
Hayward spent the final season of his career with the Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder after he was traded to the Thunder in the middle of the season. He averaged 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 51 games.
The 34-year-old Gordon Hayward average 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game throughout his career.
Follow Us
Subscribe