Gordon Hayward

Gordon Daniel Hayward (born March 23, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Hayward has previously played for the Utah Jazz, the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets.

As a senior in 2007–08, Hayward averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Hayward and teammate Julian Mavunga led Brownsburg to the Indiana Class 4A state championship.

In the title game, Hayward made the game-winning basket at the buzzer to defeat Marion High School 40–39.

Hayward was selected Second-team all-state by AP and First-team all-state by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

He was selected Indianapolis Star Player of the Year.

and he received the IHSAA Arthur L. Trester Award in Class 4A.

Hayward was selected to represent Indiana in the 2008 Indiana – Kentucky Boys All-Star Game, which Indiana won.

Hayward was listed as an unranked three-star prospect on the recruiting website Rivals.com.

He accepted a scholarship offer from Butler University, coached by Brad Stevens, despite late interest from Purdue and Michigan.

As a freshman with the Bulldogs in 2008–09, Hayward averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

He was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, and selected to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team and the All-Horizon League First Team.

The Bulldogs won the Horizon League regular season title.

In the championship game of the 2009 Horizon League men's basketball tournament, Butler lost to Cleveland State.

Butler received an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, and lost in the First Round against the LSU Tigers.

In 2009–10, Hayward was nominated for various preseason All-America teams and Player of the Year awards.

Hayward averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

In college basketball, Hayward led the Butler Bulldogs to the championship game of the 2010 NCAA tournament.

He was subsequently selected by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft.

He is one of the two NBA Players to be drafted in the 2010 NBA Draft and still be on a team's roster in the league; the other is Paul George.

Hayward attended Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Indiana.

He grew from 5'11" (1.80 m) in height as a freshman to 6'7" (2.01 m) as a senior.

Until his growth spurt, Hayward was more successful in tennis, in which he was a two-time all-state singles player.

Hayward's parents, Gordon Scott Hayward and Jody Hayward hosted parties for their son and his high school basketball teammates.

Gordon Hayward has a sister, Heather.

The Butler Bulldogs won both the Horizon League regular season title, and the 2010 Horizon League men's basketball tournament.

He was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and selected to the All-Horizon League First Team.

Hayward was also selected AP All-American Honorable Mention and ESPN Third-team Academic All-American.

Butler lost to Duke in the championship game of the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

In the final seconds, Hayward attempted a game-winning, buzzer-beating, half-court shot, which hit the backboard and rim, and bounced away.

The shot is considered one of the most well-known plays in NCAA tournament history.

Hayward was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

After the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, Hayward confirmed that he would submit his name for consideration in the 2010 NBA draft, but did not immediately hire an agent.

In May 2010, Hayward announced that he would forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft.

He hired Mark Bartelstein as his agent.

On June 24, 2010, Hayward was selected as the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.

Hayward played seven seasons with the Jazz, and was selected to the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

In the 2017 off-season, Hayward signed as a free agent with the Celtics, but was ruled out for the remainder of the 2017–18 season after suffering a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle only five minutes into the season opener.

He played two more seasons with the franchise before the Celtics traded Hayward to the Hornets in a sign-and-trade agreement in November 2020.