Two Boston Celtics will be leaving Disney’s NBA campus in September to be present for the birth of a child according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss — veteran forward Gordon Hayward and rookie center Vincent Poirier.
The duo will leave the so-called ‘Orlando bubble’ when their partners go into labor — and by that point, the Celtics could be in the middle of a deep playoff run.
Speaking at the daily media availability held remotely from Auerbach Center, Hayward related both had permission to exit the bubble, quarantining for four days if Boston is still playing to rejoin the team.
Vincent Poirier tells @TheAthleticBOS he plans to take a leave of absence from the Celtics to attend the birth of his daughter in mid-September, as Gordon Hayward announced today he will do the same.
Full details inside with 30-day free trial:https://t.co/416RK09DQw
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) July 3, 2020
“It’s a pretty easy decision for me on that,” Hayward explained.
“I’ve been at the birth of every one of my children and I think there are more important things in life. So we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I know the NBA has a protocol for that type of thing and hopefully, I can do the quarantining and testing the appropriate amount of time and then be back with the boys.”
Hayward noted that one of the hardest aspects of the restart has been the additional pressure it has put on his wife Robyn, who will have to become the primary caretaker of their other three children while the Butler product is away with the team.
Even still, Hayward was excited for the chance to compete for a title, noting they “want to go down there and continue the season and try to finish something that we’ve worked for all year.”
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