Gordon Hayward

At 34 years old, Gordon Hayward has this physical status:

High school career

Hayward attended Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Indiana. As a freshman, he grew from 5'11" (1.80 m) to 6'7" (2.01 m) as a senior. Hayward was more popular in tennis, in which he was a two-time all-state singles champion until his growth spurt. Gordon Scott Hayward and Jody Hayward's parents, along with Hayward's son and his high school basketball teammates, held parties for their son and his high school basketball teammates. Heather Hayward is Gordon Hayward's sister.

Hayward averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game as a senior in 2007-08. Brownsburg defeated Brownsburg and teammate Julian Mavunga in the Indiana Class 4A state championship. Hayward defeated Marion High School 40–39 in the championship game after making the game-winning basket at the buzzer. The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and Second-Team all-state selected Hayward for Second-team all-state and First-Team all-state. He was voted Indianapolis Star Player of the Year. He was given the IHSAA Arthur L. Trester Award in Class 4A. Hayward was chosen to represent Indiana in the 2008 Indiana – Kentucky Boys All-Star Game, which Indiana also won.

College career

On the recruiting website Rivals.com, Hayward was identified as an unranked three-star candidate. Despite late interest from Purdue and Michigan, he accepted a scholarship from Butler University, coached by Brad Stevens.

Hayward averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a freshman with the Bulldogs in 2008-09. He was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and selected to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team and the All-Horizon League First Team. The Bulldogs captured the Horizon League regular season championship. Butler lost to Cleveland State in the 2009 Horizon League men's basketball tournament's championship game. Butler received an at-large invitation to the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, but against the LSU Tigers in the First Round.

Hayward was nominated for various preseason All-America teams and Player of the Year awards from 2009–2010. As a sophomore, Hayward averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Both the Butler Bulldogs and the 2010 Horizon League men's basketball tournament were crowned. He was named Player of the Year and selected to the All-Horizon League First Team and the Horizon League First Team. Hayward was also named an Associated Mention and ESPN Third-Team Academic All-American in honor of his work.

Butler lost in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game to Duke. Hayward fired a game-winning, buzzer-beating, half-court shot, but it bounced away from the backboard and rim in the final seconds. The shot is regarded as one of the most popular NCAA tournament games in history. Hayward was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Professional career

Hayward announced that after the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, he would submit his name for consideration in the 2010 NBA draft, but that he did not immediately recruit an agent. Hayward revealed in May 2010 that he will forego his final two seasons of college eligibility and join the NBA draft. Mark Bartelstein was drafted as his agent by the government. The Utah Jazz selected Hayward as the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft on June 24, 2010.

Hayward came off the bench as a rookie in 2010–11. Hayward put on a good showing in an 86–85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2011, scoring 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hayward defeated the Denver Nuggets 107–103 on April 13, ending the season with a 34-point game, a career high at the time. Hayward, a sophomore in 2011–12, made his way into the starting lineup and was chosen to play in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge. Hayward was a member of Team Chuck and scored 14 points as his team took the lead in the game. In the first round, Hayward made his NBA playoffs debut against the San Antonio Spurs, losing 4–0. Hayward came off the bench mostly as a sixth man during the 2012-2013 season, but he averaged a career high in points per game. Hayward was selected third in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year competition for the third time in 2013.

Hayward emerged as the Jazz's new offensive threat following Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson's departure in the 2013 offseason, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and thefts. Hayward won by 37 points on January 7, 2014, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time. Hayward became a restricted free agent after the 2013-2014 season. Hayward's highest contract bid from the Charlotte Hornets came on July 10, 2014. The Jazz matched the offer sheet on July 12, 2014, re-signing Hayward.

Hayward's career averaged a point per game in 2014-2015. Hayward won by 102–100 over the New York Knicks on November 14, 2014, scoring a season-high 33 points. He reached a career high in points per game in 2015-16. Hayward lost 124–119 double overtime to the Charlotte Hornets on January 18, 2016.

Hayward sustained a fractured fourth finger on his left hand on October 7, 2016. In a 114-109 victory over the New York Knicks, he made his season debut on November 6, scoring 28 points. Hayward set a record of points per game, boosting his points per game for the sixth straight season. Hayward was selected by Western Conference coaches on January 26, 2017 for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. In a 112–105 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks on February 9, 2017, he scored a season-high 36 points. Hayward scored a career-high 38 points in a 107-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers on March 2, 2017. In a 120-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 7, 2017, he set a new career high, scoring 39 points.

Hayward scored a career-high 40 points in Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 21, 2017. Hayward's 21 first-quarter points in Game 3 set a franchise playoff record for any one quarter. He scored 26 points as the Jazz beat the Clippers 104–91, bringing the franchise's first postseason victory since 2010. In the second round to the Golden State Warriors in four games, the Jazz continued to lose.

Hayward announced on July 4, 2017 via The Players' Tribune that he would join the Boston Celtics. He signed with the Celtics to a four-year, $128 million contract on July 14.

Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg less than six minutes into the Celtics' regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 17, 2017. After an attempted alley-oop off a pass by Kyrie Irving, his leg fell below his weight, causing his leg to collapse under his weight. Since recovering from surgery, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the season. Hayward had made a good start before he required a second surgery in March 2018. He also failed to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, where his Boston Celtics lost to them in the deep playoffs.

Hayward played in his first regular season game since the ankle injury on October 16, 2018. In a 105-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored ten points and five rebounds in 25 minutes. In a 118–109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 1, 2018, he scored a season-high 30 points. Hayward defeated the Timberwolves 115-102 on January 2, 2019, setting a new season record with 35 points. In a 110–106 victory over the Indiana Pacers on April 21, he scored a playoff-high 20 points. Hayward was limited to a bench seat in the majority of the 2018–19 season, with only 18 out of 72 games in the regular season and no games in the playoffs.

Hayward defeated the Cavaliers 119-116, matched his regular-season record of 39 points. In a game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 9, he fractured his left hand. Hayward returned from injury against the Cavaliers on December 9, 2019.

Hayward was hospitalized with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain after incorrectly landing on teammate Daniel Theis' foot while trying to recover from a slow start against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1st round of the playoffs on August 17, 2020. On September 20, 2020, he returned to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, but in limited numbers as the Heat went on to beat the Celtics in six games.

Hayward was signed by the Celtics to a four-year, $120 million contract and then moved to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for a conditional 2022 second-round draft pick. In addition, the trade enabled the Boston Celtics to produce a traded-player exemption worth the first year of Hayward's four-year, $120 million dollar contract, the first in the NBA's history. Hayward made his Hornets debut on December 23, 2020, scoring 28 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in a 121-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hayward defeated the Atlanta Hawks 102–94, setting a new career high of 44 points in a 102-94 victory.

Hayward sustained an ankle injury in a 101-116 loss to the Toronto Raptors on February 7, 2022. He was diagnosed with sprained ligaments in his left ankle and was barred from playing indefinitely two days later. In a 114-144 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, he returned from injury on April 2, logging five points and four assists. Hayward's left foot had been out for at least two weeks by April 10, and he had been out for at least two weeks.

National team career

Hayward was chosen as a member of the United States team of the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in the United States. As Team USA took the championship, Hayward averaged ten points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He was chosen to the All-Tournament Team.

Hayward was selected as a member of the USA Basketball Select Team that competed against the United States Olympic team in 2012.

He was selected as a finalist for the United States FIBA Basketball World Cup team in 2014, but he did not make the final 12-man roster.

Hayward was selected as a finalist for the United States Olympic team in 2016. He eventually dropped his name from consideration, citing "family values" as the cause.

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