Gordon Hayward stayed local for his high school ball, attending Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Indiana. Gordon hit a massive growth spurt in high school that helped excel his NBA career. Between his freshman and senior year, Hayward grew from 5-11 to 6-7.

He also had to balance his high school tennis career with his basketball. In his senior year, Gordon capped off an 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game season with a Class 4A State Championship. Not to mention, he also buried a game-winner at the buzzer to capture the title over Marion High School.

He was selected Indianapolis Star Player of the Year and added to the First-team All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. 

The unranked 3-Star recruit was beyond happy to get a chance to play for his in-state college, the Butler Bulldogs. He did have some interest from Purdue and Michigan, but pairing up with head coach Brad Stevens at Butler was a match made in heaven. In his freshman season, Gordon Hayward was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year due to his 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs won the regular-season title but lost in the 2009 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament to Cleveland State. 

In his sophomore season, Hayward led the Bulldogs to a Horizon regular season and Tournament title, by averaging 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was also named the Horizon League Player of the Year.

Hayward’s Butler career ended in heartbreak as they were ousted by the Duke Blue Devils in the 200 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game.

After being selected to the All-Tournament Team, Hayward decided to forgo his final two seasons at Butler.

After a fantastic sophomore season at Butler and a heartbreaking ending, Gordon Hayward decided to enter his name into the 2010 NBA Draft. Hayward was selected ninth overall by the Utah Jazz on June 24, 2010. 

In his rookie year during the 2010-11 season, Hayward was primarily a bench player. His first big night came against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2011. He tallied 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hayward topped that performance on April 13 by pouring in 34 points on the Denver Nuggets. The following year, Hayward started some games for the Utah Jazz but was primarily the sixth man. He was named to the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Game and received a third-place vote for NBA Sixth Man of the Year. 

Hayward’s role grew much larger when the Utah Jazz parted ways with  Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. Hayward was forced into a role where he needed to be the team’s scorer, and he quickly began to produce. On January 7, 2014, he dropped a career-high 37 points versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the Jazz matched the Charlotte Hornets’ offer sheet of $63 million for four years on Hayward, he was there to stay. Hayward continued to improve over the next few years for the Jazz. On April 21, 2017, he scored his new career-high of 40 points in a  first-round playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The following year, on July 4, 2017, Hayward signed with the Boston Celtics. He signed a four-year. $128 million contract. Unfortunately for Hayward, the first six minutes of his Celtics debut would alter his entire career and life. Just six minutes into the season, Hayward took an awkward fall causing him to fracture his tibia and dislocate his ankle. It was a very ugly fall that sent fear to everyone that witnessed it. He was ruled out for the rest of the season and then ended up needing another surgery in March of 2018. Hayward finally made his return on October 16, 2019, tallying 10 points and five rebounds. He then proved he still had his game by dropping 35 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves just a few months later. In 2019, Gordon has continued his rise back to the top. He scored 39 points against the Cavaliers on November 5. Things are finally looking up for Hayward, and god willing, he will stay healthy and continue to excel in his career.