After 14 years in the NBA, former All-Star forward Gordon Hayward has announced his basketball retirement. Hayward took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the news of his retirement.
Thank you 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/fqbw3WML0n
— Gordon Hayward (@gordonhayward) August 1, 2024
The 34-year-old most recently played 51 games during the 2023-24 season. Splitting time with the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder, Hayward averaged 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on the year.
With Hayward’s retirement, new Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George is the only member of the 2010 NBA Draft class still remaining in the league.
Former NBA All-Star Announces His Retirement From Basketball
Gordon Hayward’s Career Breakdown
Hayward’s most notable stint in his career was his seven-year run with the Utah Jazz. Utah drafted the Butler alum with the No. 9 pick in 2010. In seven years with the team, Hayward gradually improved every single year, becoming an All-Star during the 2016-17 season. During his All-Star year, Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. This same season, he also led Utah to their first playoff series victory since the 2009-10 season. With the Jazz, Hayward averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
During the 2017 offseason, Hayward reunited with his college coach Brad Stevens and joined the Boston Celtics. Joining a team that had just earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics immediately became serious title contenders for the 2017-18 season. This was especially true after Boston acquired star guard Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers later that summer. However, Hayward suffered a brutal ankle injury five minutes into his first game with the Celtics, putting a damper on their championship plans.
Gordon Hayward and the Infamous 2018-19 Season
Hayward ultimately spent just two more seasons in Boston after his injury. This includes the disastrous and disappointing 2018-19 season. With a core of Hayward, Irving, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown the Celtics were expected to be a top team in the league this season. However, the team ended the season with a 49-33 record, their worst since 2016. Furthermore, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks. In an episode of Podcast P (YouTube link), Hayward said the team having “too many agendas” attributed to their disappointing season.
“In my eyes, it was just, we all had too many agendas, and the agenda to win the whole thing was not the main one,” Hayward said.
Though the 2019-20 season was better for Hayward and the Celtics, they still lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat. That following offseason, Hayward joined the Hornets, where he played until his trade to the Thunder earlier this year.
The Last Word on Gordon Hayward
The biggest story of Hayward’s NBA career is likely his 2017 injury and eventual return. Ultimately, he never fully came back to form after the injury. However, he still played solid basketball and looked like the old Hayward at times until his retirement. Hayward will not make it to the Hall of Fame. Regardless, he had one of the most interesting careers of an All-Star this past decade.
