Boston Celtics: Gordon Hayward, the Houdini will stop trading you (for now)

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has earned the highest degree of respect for his sacrifices off the court and the spark he provided on it with yesterday’s Game 3 win against the Miami Heat.

Look, the Houdini oftentimes tries to fill roster holes on the Boston Celtics with splashy acquisitions–often times in deals that send away 34 million dollar man Gordon Hayward. And most of the time it has been justified…I mean hey, Bleacher Report does it!

It’s long been easy to point to Hayward’s deal, his missed time, and his injury history and think that he is not someone who can be relied on. Not only that, his expiring deal after the 2020-21 season makes him a splashy short-term acquisition who believes they are a piece away from contention (Denver? Houston?).

That said, Hayward’s decision to stick with his teammates in the NBA’s Lake Buena Vista bubble on Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports campus–at the expense of seeing the birth of his fourth child–is the kind of team-first mentality that makes him a valuable commodity as well as a fan favorite.

It would be really easy for Hayward to feel guiltless and enjoy one of the most important moments in his parental life, but instead he is playing for a fanbase (myself included) that has often times used him as a scapegoat for not reaching the next level.

More importantly (and far more likely), he is playing for his fellow teammates who have once again picked up the slack in his absence. Jayson Tatum’s entire career progression has been with Hayward as a teammate, and Jaylen Brown shares the mutual disdain for the 2018-19 campaign after both were demoted to second unit roles.

Either way, I truly hope the reasoning for Hayward and his wife Robyn’s decision to have the former All-Star play had nothing to do with any toxic Boston Celtics fans:

If so, here’s my PSA to anyone who feels the need to message Robyn Hayward about the imminent birth of her child as she endures the difficult late stages of pregnancy:

All of that said, we shall see how the postseason plays out. Hayward could turn out to be an albatross and the team may lose their next two games. He could also get injured again with no hope of contributing in his final year under contract (please don’t let this be, basketball gods) just as easily.

Either way, until this postseason run is over, Hayward has earned the right to not have his named mentioned in any Boston Celtics-related publication unless it is praise for what he is willing to do to see his team win.