Career Timeline of Gordon Hayward: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Gordon Hayward made an impact.
Gordon Hayward is a retired American professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the NBA. He played for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He officially retired in 2024, marking the end of a career marked by scoring ability and versatility on the court.
2008: Indiana Class 4A State Championship
In 2008, Gordon Hayward led Brownsburg to the Indiana Class 4A state championship. In the title game, Hayward made the game-winning basket at the buzzer. He 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.
2009: Horizon League Newcomer of the Year
In 2009, Gordon Hayward was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, and selected to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team and the All-Horizon League First Team. Butler lost in the championship game of the 2009 Horizon League men's basketball tournament to Cleveland State.
2009: FIBA Under-19 World Championship
In 2009, Gordon Hayward was selected for the United States team for the FIBA Under-19 World Championship, where he averaged 10 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Team USA won the championship, and Hayward was named to the All-Tournament Team.
May 2010: Announced Intent to Enter NBA Draft
In May 2010, Gordon Hayward announced that he would forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft.
2010: Horizon League Player of the Year
In 2010, Gordon Hayward averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. 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.
2010: Rookie Season
In 2010, Gordon Hayward started his rookie season coming off the bench for the Utah Jazz.
April 5, 2011: Notable Performance Against Lakers
On April 5, 2011, Gordon Hayward had a noticeable performance in an 86–85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
2012: USA Basketball Select Team Selection
In 2012, Gordon Hayward was chosen as a member of the USA Basketball Select Team. The team trained against the United States Olympic team.
2012: NBA Rising Stars Challenge
In 2012, Gordon Hayward was selected to play in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge game. Hayward played for Team Chuck and recorded 14 points as his team won the game. Hayward made his NBA playoffs debut against the San Antonio Spurs as the Jazz lost 4–0 in the first round.
2012: Sixth Man Role
In the 2012 season, Gordon Hayward mainly came off the bench as a sixth man, but averaged a career high in points per game (11.8).
2013: Emergence as Jazz's Offensive Threat
After the departure of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson during the 2013 offseason, Gordon Hayward emerged as the Jazz's new offensive threat.
January 7, 2014: Career-High 37 Points
On January 7, 2014, Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 37 points in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
July 10, 2014: Received Offer from Hornets
On July 10, 2014, Gordon Hayward received a four-year, $63 million maximum contract offer from the Charlotte Hornets.
July 12, 2014: Jazz Matched Hornets Offer
On July 12, 2014, the Jazz matched the Charlotte Hornets' offer sheet, re-signing Gordon Hayward.
November 14, 2014: Season-High 33 Points
On November 14, 2014, Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 33 points in a 102–100 win over the New York Knicks.
2014: Finalist for FIBA Basketball World Cup Team
In 2014, Gordon Hayward was selected as a finalist for the United States FIBA Basketball World Cup team, but he did not make the final 12-man roster.
2015: Career High in Points Per Game
In 2015, Gordon Hayward averaged a career high in points per game.
January 18, 2016: Season-High 36 Points
On January 18, 2016, Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 36 points in a 124–119 double overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
2016: Olympic Team Finalist and Withdrawal
In 2016, Gordon Hayward was named a finalist for the United States Olympic team but withdrew his name from selection due to "family obligations".
February 9, 2017: Season-High 36 Points
On February 9, 2017, Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 36 points in a 112–105 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
March 2, 2017: Career-High 38 Points
On March 2, 2017, Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 38 points in a 107–100 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
April 7, 2017: New Career High of 39 Points
On April 7, 2017, Gordon Hayward set a new career high, scoring 39 points in a 120–113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
April 21, 2017: Career-High 40 Points in Playoffs
On April 21, 2017, in Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 40 points in a 111–106 loss.
July 4, 2017: Announced Signing with Celtics
On July 4, 2017, Gordon Hayward announced that he would sign with the Boston Celtics.
2017: NBA All-Star and Signed with the Celtics
In 2017, Gordon Hayward was selected to the NBA All-Star Game during his seven seasons with the Jazz. In the 2017 offseason, he signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics.
October 16, 2018: First Game Since Injury
On October 16, 2018, Gordon Hayward played in his first regular season game since the ankle injury, recording 10 points and five rebounds.
December 1, 2018: Season-High 30 Points
On December 1, 2018, Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 30 points in a 118–109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2018: Endorsement Deal with Anta
In 2018, Gordon Hayward signed an endorsement deal with Anta, a Chinese sports footwear and apparel company, which included the debut of a signature shoe line.
2018: Advertisements for Unilever
In 2018, Gordon Hayward was featured in advertisements for Unilever's men's bodycare products during the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
January 2, 2019: New Season-High 35 Points
On January 2, 2019, Gordon Hayward set a new season-high with 35 points in a 115–102 win over the Timberwolves.
November 5, 2019: Matched Career High of 39 Points
On November 5, 2019, Gordon Hayward matched his regular-season career high with 39 points in a 119–116 win over the Cavaliers.
December 9, 2019: Returned From Injury
On December 9, 2019, Gordon Hayward returned from injury against the Cavaliers.
November 2020: Traded to Charlotte Hornets
In November 2020, Gordon Hayward was traded by the Celtics to the Charlotte Hornets in a sign-and-trade agreement.
November 29, 2020: Signed and Traded to Hornets
On November 29, 2020, Gordon Hayward was signed by the Celtics to a four-year, $120 million deal and then traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
December 23, 2020: Hornets Debut
On December 23, 2020, Gordon Hayward made his Hornets debut, putting up 28 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
December 5, 2021: Season-High 41 Points
On December 5, 2021, Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 41 points in a 131–115 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
February 24, 2023: Season-Highs in Points and Rebounds
On February 24, 2023, Gordon Hayward recorded season-highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
February 8, 2024: Traded to Oklahoma City Thunder
On February 8, 2024, Gordon Hayward was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
