Amidst the off-season buzz, fans might have missed the news that Gordon Hayward has retired. He last played for the OKC Thunder during the second half of the season but didn’t play any minutes during their playoff run.
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The 14-season veteran hung up his boots in August and was in a conversation with The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo when he touched on his stint in Boston. “That season was definitely the hardest season of my career, like easily,” began the former All-Star.
In the 2017-18 off-season, the Celtics signed him to a 4-year $128 million contract. However, in Hayward’s first regular season game, he dislocated his ankle and suffered from a fractured tibia that put him out of action for the entire year. It’s remembered as one of the worst injuries broadcasted on national television, and it had a significant impact on the trajectory of Hayward’s career.
“Obviously, changed the course of the rest of my career, being injured, but I think also really helped the young guys that were there,” explained Gordon Hayward.
In the same off-season that he arrived, the Celtics also landed Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum. The year prior, they had drafted Jaylen Brown, creating a unique roster that could compete in the present while simultaneously building for the future. Of course, with Hayward’s injury, the timelines of their young stars would have to be expedited.
“There’s nothing better, in my opinion, than being able to play through mistakes, gain experiences, and me getting hurt certainly helped JT and JB develop faster,” remarked Hayward on the consequences of his injury.
He added that he believed in the young players’ potential regardless of his injury, but Hayward did believe that getting more reps in his absence helped Tatum and Brown acclimatize to the league at a quicker pace. Unfortunately, their development would also throw a curveball on Hayward’s return, as the young wings were vying for his starting role.
Hayward revealed his issues with the Celtics
Earlier this year, Hayward was on Paul George’s podcast when he touched on his experience in Boston. “There was too many agendas. And the agenda to win the whole thing was not the main one,” he explained.
“I’m trying to prove that I’m still an All-Star, Kyrie was hurt the year before too…So he’s trying to prove this is still his team. Then you’ve got JT and Jaylen and Terry [Rozier]…Like, they’re all trying to prove, like, we’ve arrived.”
Hayward added how the competing agendas and congested roster created a non-cohesive dynamic on the team. The Celtics were overloaded on the wings, but with players that all required the ball in their hands.
“Kyrie isn’t necessarily a spot-up shooter, like I’m not really a spot-up shooter, JT is not. We all liked to have the ball and do our thing, and there’s only one basketball. It’s hard to make that work,” he added.
Though the Hayward era of the Celtics couldn’t make it past the Eastern Conference Finals, they did contribute to the development of the 2024 NBA championship-winning squad. The newly retired pro clarified that he has no hard feelings and was happy to see his former team achieve their ultimate goal.
