Gordon Hayward is still on a tough road to recovery following his gruesome injury last October, so he’s taking all the things that can add to his motivation. He got a good one Sunday night, as he saw the jersey retirement of Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce.

As a first-year Celtic, Hayward is hoping to someday get on such level of respect from the organization and its fan base. As we may all know, the Celtics are a top-notch franchise and they arguably have one of the league's most passionate followers. A couple of good runs with the team will be a big boost to one's legacy.

In a recent interview with A. Sherrod Barkley of NBC Sports, Hayward shared his fandom of Pierce and the reasons he joined Boston during last summer's much talked about journey in free agency:

“It’s one of the reasons I chose to come to Boston, the tradition… the success, the excellence they’ve always had. The teams he has been on has been a part of… I wanted to be part of that success and make some myself.”

“He’s a guy that as a young player in this league, I looked up to because of the skill he possessed and a guy that wasn’t the most athletic person but could get anywhere he wanted to on the floor, get his shot off anytime… Just somebody that meant a lot to me.”

With Hayward's class and hardworking style on both ends of the floor, it might be safe to assume that even non-Celtics fans are excited to have him back on the court. It is very intriguing to see how much he can still grow. Hayward has improved his play and scoring in his six previous seasons, and could hopefully continue as such once he returns.