Tag: Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward on when Metta Sandiford-Artest called him Justin Bieber

Retired NBA sharpshooter Gordon Hayward says former Lakers Metta Sandiford-Artest once went at him defensively for being white.

For decades, there has been a stubborn stereotype in basketball that white players simply lack game for whatever reason. Although Nikola Jokić, a white man, has won three of the last four NBA regular season MVPs, that misperception continues to linger.

Whether it is because of legitimate racism or more of a mischievous attitude, it can result in some moments that offer a bit of levity in our racially divided society.

Gordon Hayward announced his retirement from the NBA about a week ago after 14 seasons in the league. Although he was riddled with injuries at times, he was an excellent shooter who could also occasionally serve as a secondary playmaker.

While on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Hayward recalled a time when Metta Sandiford-Artest hilariously implored late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for the basketball because Hayward, a white man, was guarding Sandiford-Artest.

“For whatever reason, when you see the white guy guarding you, it’s like ‘Let’s iso him and go at him’. And so, you gotta hope that you can stop that first time, or else they’re just going to keep going at you every single time.”

“I wasn’t the worst defender on the team, but for whatever reason, check in the game – ‘We’re going right at him’… I’m telling you, there’s just some stereotype, people’s eyes light up. I remember, this probably didn’t necessarily have to do with the fact that I was white, but maybe my face and hair and everything.”

“We played the Lakers, I think it was preseason, and they had Ron Artest. I checked in the game & he looks at me and then looks back at Kobe. And he’s like, ‘Hey Kob, just throw me the ball in the post, man. Look who’s guarding me. I’ve got [Justin] Bieber guarding me’. And sure enough, he just posted me up. I had no chance guarding him. At that point, what am I going to say to Ron Artest?”

Sandiford-Artest wasn’t just one of the NBA’s great defenders back in the day. He was one of those rare players who could lock down a star player defensively and also score a consistent 15-20 points on the other end.

While his game was in decline when he came to the Lakers in 2009, he had enough left in the tank to play a key role in the team defeating the Boston Celtics to win the world championship. In doing so, he became a beloved member of the Los Angeles-area community, and he did a lot to help the less fortunate, including encouraging people to seek help for mental health issues if needed.

Former Butler star Gordon Hayward announces NBA retirement

Gordon Hayward, who nearly led the Butler Bulldogs to a national championship in 2010, announced his retirement from the NBA on Thursday.

After a prolific college and NBA career, former All-Star Gordon Hayward announced on social media Thursday morning he is retiring from the game of basketball.

“Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote. “It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.”

Hayward’s NBA career was marred by injury, in particular a gruesome leg injury in his first game after signing with the Boston Celtics in 2017 that cost him an entire year.

However, his college career is historic, leading the Butler Bulldogs to an unprecedented run to the national championship game as a five seed in 2010. His half court heave against Duke in the championship game just missed, which would have made Butler one of the unlikeliest NCAA champions in basketball history.

Even though Butler didn’t win it all, Hayward’s performance helped raise the profile of the program and was a catalyst – along with coach Brad Stevens – in getting the school into the Big East in 2013 where they have remained ever since.

The 34-year-old retires after averaging 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over 14 NBA seasons.

Former Celtic Gordon Hayward announces retirement from NBA

Gordon Hayward has announced his retirement from the NBA after 14 seasons.

Former Boston Celtic and 14-year veteran Gordon Hayward announced his retirement from the NBA Thursday morning. Hayward spent the end of the 2023-24 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Celtics signed Hayward in the summer of 2017 to a four-year, $128 million contract. With Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, Hayward was set to be an integral part of a new era for Boston. A devastating leg injury less than six minutes into the first game of the next season derailed this hope. He missed the entire 2017-18 regular season, and the vision for this Celtics core never materialized. Hayward returned the following season, but soon enough Horford and Irving left Boston. Hayward remained a key contributor alongside the ascendant Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, however, helping the team reach the conference finals in 2020. After four seasons with the Celtics, Hayward looked for a bigger role, and joined the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Hayward was an All-Star in 2014, and one of the league’s best offensive players for much of that decade. In his retirement announcement he thanked his parents and family, as well as his fans for providing encouragement in support through the many stages of his career.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Former Thunder Gordon Hayward retires from NBA

Former Thunder Gordon Hayward retires from NBA.

Gordon Hayward announced his retirement from the NBA on Thursday. The 34-year-old last played for the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season after he was traded there.

After being drafted with the No. 9 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Hayward played 14 seasons in the NBA. He spent his first seven seasons with the Utah Jazz. He then split his next seven seasons between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets.

The Thunder acquired Hayward hoping the veteran wing could be a bench contributor. Instead, he underperformed and fizzled out of the playoff rotation.

In his exit interview, Hayward said his role with the Thunder was disappointing and said a lack of touches and playing time led to his subpar play.

Hayward’s full retirement message can be read below:

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Gordon Hayward’s wife, Robyn Hayward, criticizes Thunder for husband’s subpar stint

Gordon Hayward’s wife Robyn Hayward criticizes Thunder for husband’s subpar stint.

The initial excitement associated with the Gordon Hayward trade slowly fizzled to nothing by the time the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season ended.

The Thunder acquired Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline with the hopes of him being an immediate contributor. Instead, his stint was uneventful.

The 34-year-old averaged just 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17 minutes. He shot 51.7% from 3 but on 1.1 attempts. He was scoreless in the playoffs and totaled three minutes in the final three games.

Hayward labeled his time in OKC as disappointing and frustrating, citing a lack of consistent minutes and touches for his subpar play. In his end-of-season press conference, Sam Presti expressed a similar sentiment.

“I missed on that. That’s on me,” Presti said about the Hayward trade. “But I’m learning. I’m trying to learn this team. I’m trying to learn the pace of the team a little bit. I’m just trying to be a great observer of the team as it’s going through these paces, knowing that it’s really going to change on its own.”

Presti said he might’ve underestimated Hayward’s transition from a top-scoring option to a bench piece. It also didn’t help that the 34-year-old missed large chunks of time with a nagging calf strain.

“I think it was a bit of a tough situation,” Presti said. “To go from always starting to coming to a team that was starting to surge quite a bit, that has a different way of playing.

“Just wasn’t able to get going quite to the level that I think he wanted to. He helped us get to the No. 1 seed. He was in the rotation. He had some nights where he had to start. I think he did help our rebounding quite a bit.”

Hayward’s wife, Robyn Hayward, spoke out against Presti’s “I missed on that” comment, which went viral on social media in the aftermath.

“Why trade for someone and not play them?” Robyn commented on an Instagram post about Presti’s remarks. “Missed it by not integrating him. … Before the trade, Gordon told Sam he didn’t think this trade made sense. So how can you miss when the player told you?”

What could’ve been a quiet divorce has turned ugly for the Thunder and Hayward. Even though the veteran wing didn’t work out in OKC, at least the franchise can take solace in the $35 million cap space this offseason it created with the deal.

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Thunder GM Sam Presti surprisingly admitted Gordon Hayward trade was a mistake after his usage complaints

More GMs should feel comfortable saying this

General managers in sports typically don’t come right out and own their mistakes. They can pretty easily blame something else (coaches, players, the salary cap, injuries, etc.) for why a decision they made didn’t work out.

Thunder GM Sam Presti notably did not do that on Tuesday while discussing his midseason acquisition of small forward Gordon Hayward.

After the veteran pretty thoroughly criticized his time with Oklahoma City, Presti on Tuesday agreed with him — and it was weirdly refreshing.

“I missed on that,” Presti said. “That’s on me. But I’m learning.”

The Thunder nabbed Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets on February 8 for Dāvis Bertāns, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micić, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and cash considerations. The thinking was that the veteran could carve out a smaller role for himself while providing a positive influence in the locker room.

That situation just didn’t work out for Hayward, who explained his frustrations to reporters after the Thunder’s season came to an end against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.

“I feel like as a player I have a lot to offer,” Heyward said. “I just wasn’t given much of an opportunity to do that, and I thought I was going to get that opportunity.”

Now an unrestricted free agent, it seems clear he won’t be returning to OKC. Especially after Presti’s comments on Tuesday.

“In Gordon’s defense, actually, I agree with him on a lot of that,” Presti said of the trade. “We were really surging at that time and it’s hard to bring somebody in — I think he used the phrase ‘the train is moving.’ That’s accurate. Especially when we’re asking him and other players to do some things that maybe are different than what they have done in the past. “

Hayward averaged 17.2 minutes, 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 26 games with OKC — by far the worst averages of his career.
Presti isn’t running from that. Sometimes trades don’t work out and this is one of them. That said, it’s a lot easier to own up to a bad move that won’t really impact Presti’s job security.
The Thunder nabbed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, retain a number of bankable stars under contract and own so many draft picks that tossing a few away to see if Hayward could help round out the bench actually makes sense.
We’ll see if this little bit of honesty earns Presti any bonus points moving forward, but in the meantime it’s just nice to hear someone in power own up to a move that really just didn’t work at all.

‘I missed on that’: Thunder GM Sam Presti addresses Gordon Hayward trade

‘I missed on that’: Thunder GM Sam Presti addresses Gordon Hayward trade.

In the final hours of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, the Oklahoma City Thunder made a splash.

The Thunder acquired Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets. The deal was praised as a smart move to add a veteran wing who could score off the dribble and off catch-and-shoot chances.

What the Thunder gave up was minimal, too. Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic and Davis Bertans seldom saw playing time in OKC, so there was no real risk of losing someone significant.

Hayward’s expiring salary also cleared $35 million in cap space this summer, which was a fail-safe if he didn’t work out.

The fail-safe was required. Hayward’s stint with the Thunder was unmemorable. The 34-year-old averaged just 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17 minutes. He shot 51.7% from 3 but on 1.1 attempts.

Hayward’s playoff time fizzled to three total minutes in the Thunder’s last three contests against the Dallas Mavericks. He finished the postseason scoreless.

In his exit interview, Hayward was disappointed with his tenure in OKC. He stated a lack of touches and consistent minutes as the main culprits for his subpar performances.

“Obviously disappointing with kind of how it all worked out,” Hayward said. “This is not what I thought it would be. Certainly frustrating. But kind of it is what it is.”

In his end-of-season press conference, Thunder general manager Sam Presti was surprisingly transparent about Hayward’s tenure, admitting he agrees with the player’s assessment and that the midseason move not working out falls on him.

“I missed on that. That’s on me,” Presti said about the Hayward trade. “But I’m learning. I’m trying to learn this team. I’m trying to learn the pace of the team a little bit. I’m just trying to be a great observer of the team as it’s going through these paces, knowing that it’s really going to change on its own.”

Presti explained — in hindsight — he should’ve thought more about the adjustment period Hayward would require with the Thunder. They were racking up wins and hitting their stride at the moment. He admitted the fit with Hayward was not as seamless as he’d hoped.

“I think it was a bit of a tough situation,” Presti said. “To go from always starting to coming to a team that was starting to surge quite a bit, that has a different way of playing.

“Just wasn’t able to get going quite to the level that I think he wanted to. He helped us get to the No. 1 seed. He was in the rotation. He had some nights where he had to start. I think he did help our rebounding quite a bit.”

While the Hayward trade wasn’t a catastrophe that hurt the Thunder’s playoff appearance, it is a blemish on a deadline deal that looked genius.

Presti will need to learn from this error. This was likely the first of several trade deadlines when OKC will be viewed as buyers as it ascended to title contenders this year. It will also need to be more thoughtful when game-planning possible outside additions this offseason.

The Hayward era for the Thunder is a blunt reminder that while a move might look great on paper, nothing is guaranteed until the on-court product musters positive results.

“I would have liked it to have worked out better for Gordon, but that’s just the way it goes,” Presti said.

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Disappointing: Gordon Hayward airs grievances over Thunder tenure

‘Disappointing’: Gordon Hayward airs grievances over Thunder tenure.

After the Oklahoma City’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the awkward marriage between the Thunder and Gordon Hayward is likely over.

The veteran wing’s addition to the Thunder sparked excitement. On the Charlotte Hornets, Hayward was a top-scoring option and put up respectable numbers.

The 34-year-old averaged 14.5 points on 46.8% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. Though a nagging calf injury cost him a chunk of the season, the excitement levels remained.

All Hayward had to do was bring his outside shooting and provide the drive-heavy Thunder with another catch-and-shoot option. Instead, Hayward turned into a lesser version of himself, allergic to shooting the ball.

Hayward averaged 5.3 points on 45.3% shooting and 2.5 rebounds. The stats were expected to decrease considering the downsized role at OKC, but not to the extent they did.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, Hayward fizzled out of the rotation. He totaled three minutes in the final three contests of OKC’s second-round loss to the Mavericks. He finished the playoffs without a single point scored.

In his exit interview, Hayward vented. Any faint hopes of a potential return to the Thunder were quickly dashed with his blunt responses concerning his forgettable time in OKC.

He felt he wasn’t set up for success in his brief stint with the Thunder.

“Obviously disappointing with kind of how it all worked out,” Hayward said. “This is not what I thought it would be. Certainly frustrating. But kind of it is what it is.”

The 34-year-old discussed his miscast in role, stating he could’ve offered more than simply being a bench piece with few touches. He cited a lack of consistent minutes and touches for his subpar performances.

“I feel like as a player I have a lot to offer. I just wasn’t given much of an opportunity to do that,” Hayward said. “I kinda thought I was going to get that opportunity.”

When the Thunder acquired Hayward, there were risks involved. The low price needed to trade for him was certainly a red flag. Considering what OKC gave up, it was a low-risk move.

Alas, it didn’t work out — for whatever reason. Hayward had his moments but they were too few and far between. The lack of shooting is certainly the biggest question mark of what went wrong, but the answers to that might never be revealed.

Instead, the Thunder will take solace with his expiring $31.5 million salary to toy with in the offseason. Hayward’s tenure with OKC sounded great on paper but on the basketball court, it didn’t work.

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Gordon Hayward can still contribute to the Thunder’s playoff run

Gordon Hayward can still contribute to the Thunder’s playoff run.

During a recent practice, Gordon Hayward had a roughly five-minute session during which he swished all of his 3-point attempts with ease. It was mesmerizing to watch unfold. The 34-year-old has one of the best shooting forms on the squad.

Which makes his first-round performance even more puzzling.

Hayward totaled one shot in 31 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans. His playing time dwindled with each game. In Game 4, he logged four minutes.

The four-game sample size perfectly encapsulated Hayward’s awkward marriage with the Thunder. Averaging 14.5 points on 47% shooting in Charlotte, his stats were cut to 5.3 points on 45% shooting in 26 games in OKC.

The stats were expected to decrease as he went from one of the Charlotte Hornets’ top-scoring options to a bench piece for the Thunder, but not to the extent they did.

As the regular season progressed, Hayward regressed as a viable rotation player. He looked a step slow and missed a chunk of time dealing with a nagging calf strain.

But that was expected. After all, Hayward is in the twilight years of his career, so of course he’s not going to be the athletic wing he used to be. There’s a reason the Thunder were able to acquire him without giving up anything of note.

What is unexpected is the lack of shot attempts.

In Charlotte, Hayward averaged 11.9 shot attempts. In OKC, that number was slashed to 4.1 shot attempts. To add to the perplexity: He shot an impressive 51.7% from 3 but on just 1.1 attempts with the Thunder.

The 3-point shot is still clearly there for Hayward. He’s shown that in practice and pregame warmups. He suddenly didn’t forget how to shoot the ball. The problem is the volume.

Averaging one 3-point attempt simply isn’t going to cut it. The Thunder can survive Hayward’s weaknesses if he provides them with outside shooting and spacing.

Considering how drive-heavy the Thunder are, Hayward is a perfect dump-off option as a catch-and-shoot shooter once defenses collapse to defend a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams drives to the basket.

Instead, Hayward has looked hesitant when the ball has reached his way. It looked the worst it has all year in the first round. He quickly passed the ball out when he received it, not even looking to shoot for almost the entire series.

It wasn’t detrimental as the Thunder swept the Pelicans. It likely will not be against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round either.

If he continues to play with the same conservative approach, he simply will not see time on the court. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will seek other backup wing options on his roster or boost his starter’s minutes to nearly 40 a night.

But if Hayward can flip his mindset to a more aggressive approach and simply park around the perimeter and shoot, the Thunder suddenly have another weapon they can use.

Theoretically, the veteran wing can bolster OKC’s odds of advancing to the Western Conference finals. All he needs to do is translate his practice shots to the games.

It’s been a lackluster tenure for Hayward since he joined the Thunder but a hot series against the Mavericks would more than make up for it. The week-long break between series gives him a chance to reset his mindset and snap out of his funk.

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NBA analyst floats Gordon Hayward reunion as optimistic free agency target for Celtics

The Celtics will not have a lot of spending power this summer to add talent to the roster, but this IS optimistic if not out of the question.

The Boston Celtics will not have a lot of spending power this summer to add talent to the roster as they build the next iteration of the team in the 2024 NBA offseason. But they could still add talent via the minimum exception, and Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey could see a reunion of sorts happen to such an end with veteran forward Gordon Hayward.

“Going from a high-value player to one on a minimum contract can happen fast in the NBA, and … Hayward may have reached that point this season,” suggests the B/R analyst of what he himself describes as an “optimistic” free agent target for the Celtics.

“He turns 34 this month and is averaging just 4.3 points since being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder,” notes Bailey.

“For Boston, he could fill a role (of a veteran wing) while being younger (than some options out there) and bringing more experience as a volume scorer,” he suggests.

We do think such a reunion would be optimistic if only because Hayward would likely still find a larger role with a commensurate payday, if only of the midlevel exception sort.

That’s out of the Celtics’ likely reach next season, but as is said around these parts every once in a while — anything is possible (even if unlikely here).

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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