“I wanted to maximize what I was” Gordon Hayward on why he left Boston Celtics


“I wanted to maximize what I was” Gordon Hayward on why he left Boston Celtics
Gordon Hayward

After Gordon Hayward made a surprisingly shocking decision to leave the Boston Celtics in the off-season, many called him ‘crazy’. Rejecting a $30 Million player option was surely not in the mind of Hayward. He wanted a greater role to stamp his authority in the league. But Hayward shut all his critics when he signed a 4-year deal with Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets worth $120 Million. Quite clearly Hayward was not the go-to man for the Celtics, so he decided to ty his luck somewhere else. 

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The Celtics’ youngsters and marquee players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both played in the same wing position as of Hayward. Hayward had his best season last year, averaging more than 16 and 4 assists per game. His major struggle throughout his career has been with injuries, which has led to his downfall as some have earlier suggested. 

“I wanted a fresh start” Gordon Hayward  

He recently spoke about why he left a championship-contending Celtics to move to the rebuilding Hornets. “I wanted a fresh start. I wanted a place where I could try to maximize who I was as a basketball player,” Hayward said. “Boston has a lot of great players, especially on the wing position: Guys who can do a lot of different things, like myself. I just wanted to kind of maximize what I was.” 

The Hornets have a young team so Hayward can step up as a leader and guide them. He can be a mentor to young wing players like Miles Bridges and Malik Monk. If he stays healthy, he could make a case for an All-Star berth too. They will be a fun team to watch with LaMelo Ball on the team as well. 

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Evidently, Hayward can go from the 4th scoring option in the Celtics, to be a top player for the Hornets. But whether or not he will be able to make the most of this opportunity depends on how he approaches in the 2020-21 season. 

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