Things rarely went as planned in Gordon Hayward’s career. When he signed with the Boston Celtics entering his prime, he was an emerging All-Star joining a team built to win for the foreseeable future. Then a few minutes into that chapter of his career, he suffered a gruesome ankle injury and things were never quite the same.
It took several years for Hayward to find his game again, but he returned to a semblance of his former self in between injuries over the past five seasons. He showed enough to convince the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade for him last season as they geared up for a playoff run, only to become an afterthought once the postseason arrived.
A few months later, Hayward realized it was time to walk away, announcing his retirement after 14 seasons in the NBA. As his former team in Boston opened training camp last week, he was back in town for his next endeavor: the screening of “Notice to Quit”, the new movie he produced. Hayward chatted with The Athletic to discuss his past, present and future.
When did you know it was time to walk away?
It had been in the back of my mind for a couple of years. But I think just this summer and talking with my family and (agent) Mark (Bartelstein) and hearing some of the offers and where I could potentially be going, it was just like, I’m very content and at peace with how everything went. I can be happy just staying here in Charlotte and living life. So it’s kind of just like, all right, that’s how it’s going to be.
When did you feel you were satisfied with your career?
It was probably the first year in Charlotte. I wanted to be an All-Star so bad and I did that. Then, I was hoping to win a title and continue that as I came over to Boston and then the major injury happened. Then it was like, I want to prove that I’m still the player that I was. I feel like those first couple of years in Charlotte, I did that. We didn’t win as a team and I got injured, it seemed like every year. I was healthy up until that major injury (in 2017) and then it seemed like after that, every year, there was something that was just out of my control. That part was disappointing. But I felt like there were glimpses and flashes when I was in Charlotte that I was the same player. After I did that, I got back to where I was and I was cool with it.
I had career highs in Charlotte that I had never had. I had 41 in three quarters, so I was like, OK, I’m back. I was proud of that and that was something where I was like it hasn’t worked out with injuries and stuff and that’s a big reason why the team stuff never worked out, which was disappointing. But I’m at peace with that now.
When you left Boston, were you at peace with the way it went down?
Yeah, it was obviously disappointing and frustrating with how it all worked out. It sucks to attribute it all to injuries, but I had a major injury that changed the course of my career. That is not what I envisioned when I decided to come play in Boston, but I am at peace with it.
Your injury was a turning point in your career. Do you ever think about what could have been?
I haven’t thought about that. There were a lot of expectations, and it would have been a lot of fun, for sure. But I think my injury and then Kyrie’s (knee) injury at the end of that year were key for the development of the younger guys on the Celtics. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still would’ve gone on to do exactly what they’re doing, but I think there’s nothing better for a player than being able to play through mistakes and just experience everything. If I had been healthy that whole season, I would have just taken their reps. It’s just the nature of how it would have gone, so they would have just developed maybe a little slower. That season, they went to the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron (James). You can’t get any better development for that. They probably should have won. That was great for their development as players and then they took it to a whole other level. But it was certainly not what I expected.
Watching Brown and Tatum win a title, did you take some solace in feeling that you were a small part of them getting to that point?
Oh no, they would’ve got there regardless of anything I did. But it was something where I was happy for my guys that are still there. Ecstatic for Joe (Mazzulla), happy for Brad (Stevens), Al (Horford), JT, JB and all the guys that I played with. I wish it would’ve been when I was there, but I’m happy for them.
You did get close in the NBA bubble when you returned from that grade-3 ankle sprain in the conference finals.
Well, that season too, I got hurt again. A grade-3 ankle sprain is sometimes worse than breaking it. I shouldn’t have come back. Like there’s no way.
In 2018-19, you return from the career-altering ankle dislocation and play 72 games. But everyone saw that you were struggling. What was it like playing through the ups and downs of that season?
That was probably the hardest season of my career. That was the season we were the most stacked on paper, but everyone had so many individual agendas. We were competing against each other and that’s the reason why we struggled all regular season. For me, everyone’s saying why should he get opportunities, but I’m sitting there saying I’m not even getting opportunities. I think I was used way less than I had ever been used in my career. Mentally, I was messed up. That season was super tough. That was definitely the hardest year of my career. But I pushed through it and then we were right there that next season in the bubble.
What happened in Oklahoma City?
That’s a good question. I think it was a difficult situation going into it. I hadn’t played since December 26, so I’m coming off of a calf injury, which is hard to come back from to begin with. But then you’re going to a team that was No. 1 in the West. So in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Why do you guys need me? You’re doing fine.’ I was told (by Presti), ‘No, we really need you and we really believe you can help us out.’ But it was one of those things where I said, ‘I don’t necessarily want to ring chase. If you want me to come be there, I want to play because I do think I can help.’
Before the calf strain, I was still doing well. I get there and I still have to come back from the calf injury, so they were working me back slowly and it never changed from my perspective. It was like I’m not getting a chance here, I’m not doing anything. I’m not necessarily doing much wrong, but I’m not doing anything right because I’m playing such limited minutes. I’m just kind of out there. Then it got to the point where I wasn’t just playing at all, so it was like why did you trade for me?
Now, on their end, totally get it. They’re the top team in the West; they’re rolling. You don’t want to jeopardize that chemistry and teamwork that they have, and you’re adding a guy who would potentially change that. I’m a guy that doesn’t necessarily need to have the ball, but I would be a bigger piece. You’re not just adding somebody who’s a spot shooter. That’s not what I was told I was going to be either. I was never told that I was going to just come in and sit in the corner. So I get it from their end. I could have helped. I truly believed I could have helped, but no ill will toward them at all. I think they’re going to be good. You see a lot of young Boston in them with the talent that they have. I wish them the best.
Looking ahead to your next chapter, what made you decide to start a production company?
I was always interested in movies, how they were made and how the story was told. There was never anything behind that until I met (director) Simon (Hacker) when I was in Boston. So after meeting him and talking with him, we decided to start a production company, Whiskey Creek Production. It was originally not to make movies, we wanted to make e-sports documentaries because I think that there’s still a void for that and there are a lot of interesting stories. But we decided to then pivot and do this movie and that was that.
What does it feel like to retire from the NBA at 34?
It does feel weird. It hasn’t hit me yet because it’s still technically the offseason. I think probably in November or December it will hit me a little more. But it is weird to think, 34 years old, now what? This is why the movie’s been awesome, I’m releasing a (basketball) shooting tool soon, so I’m jumping into these different things right away to help bridge that gap a little bit.
Now that you’re retired, why aren’t you becoming a professional e-sports player now? Isn’t that a natural pivot for you?
I could, but I’m way too old for that. That’s even more youthful than sports. The reaction times and everything, that’s a child’s game. I’m nowhere near good enough now.
When you were thinking about retiring, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do?
This (movie) was in the works for a while, but not really. With my family, that takes up so much time with the kids. They have so much going on. There are four of them now. The last one’s a boy, so I got a boy, which is nice. When we had the third one in Boston, that was when I went viral because that’s when I said the whole ‘Daddy’s always happy’ thing. That pregnancy was so much different than the first two, so I thought this one was a boy. She’s five now and Daddy is still very happy.
(Top photo of Hayward: Hayward: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
