A Look Back At Haywards Career

Gordon Hayward Announces Retirement After 14 NBA Seasons

A Look Back at Hayward's Career

Gordon Hayward, the former All-Star forward, has announced his retirement from the NBA after 14 seasons. The 34-year-old played for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Oklahoma City Thunder throughout his career.

Hayward was drafted by the Jazz with the 9th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He quickly became a key player for the team, averaging 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in his rookie season. Hayward was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team that year.

Hayward continued to improve in his second season, averaging 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was named to the NBA All-Star team for the first time in 2017. Hayward helped lead the Jazz to the playoffs that year, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract with the Celtics in 2017. He averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his first season with the team. Hayward suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the Celtics' season opener in 2017-18 and missed the rest of the season.

Hayward returned to the Celtics in 2018-19 and averaged 18.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He helped lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat.

Hayward was traded to the Hornets in 2020. He averaged 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his one season with the team. Hayward was traded to the Thunder in 2021. He averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in his one season with the team.

Conclusion

Gordon Hayward was a highly skilled and versatile player who could score, rebound, and pass. He was also a durable player, missing only 32 games throughout his 14-year career. Hayward was a valuable asset to every team he played for, and he will be missed by the NBA community.