What could have been with Gordon Hayward and the Celtics

What could have been with Gordon Hayward and the Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

“It’s about to be crazy, G.”

Kyrie Irving couldn’t have been more correct when he made that declaration to Gordon Hayward at their joint introductory press conference at TD Garden seven years ago. Even if it was the exact opposite kind of crazy than what Boston Celtics fans were expecting.

When Hayward announced his surprise retirement Thursday at the age of 34, it rocketed us back to 2017 like a Time Machine. If the overwhelming emotion you feel about the Hayward Era in Boston is to wonder what could have been, don’t let it mask the feeling of hope that existed before it all so quickly fell apart.

There was a buzz around the Celtics in the summer of 2017. Isaiah Thomas had just led the team on a magical journey to the Eastern Conference finals before his body gave out. Boston traded back from the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft but added Jayson Tatum one year after drafting Jaylen Brown. The future truly felt limitless, particularly with Boston entering the offseason with the cap space to chase another veteran star.

Enter Hayward. From the moment Brad Stevens took over as head coach of the Celtics in 2013, pundits wondered if he might rejoin forces with Hayward after that duo led Butler to the doorstep of an NCAA title at Butler University.

It felt like pie-in-the-sky speculation while Hayward blossomed into one of the league’s elite in Utah. But then he hit the free-agent market and soon the Celtics were whisking him to Fenway Park as part of a pitch that landed him on a four-year, $128 million contract.

The future looked bright when Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward were introduced together at a press conference on Sept. 1, 2017.

The Celtics had Hayward, Thomas, and Al Horford as their core. Tatum and Jaylen Brown gave hope for a sustained future, especially after a dazzling July debut in Utah, right as the Celtics were on the Hayward pursuit with “Stayward” billboards around the city pleading with him to stay with the Jazz.

Wyc Grousbeck often talked about fireworks, and how appropriate that the Celtics…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/could-gordon-hayward-celtics-150744622.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-08-02 15:07:44

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