Some preached for another wing option heading into the season, but the former Virginia guard Sam Hauser has proved critics across the NBA wrong. He was the player everybody in Boston wanted to replace. Last season, the Celtics’ No. 30 played more minutes for the Cs of the north than he did for their NBA affiliate. The former three-sport athlete in high school, Sam Hauser has come a long way to where he is today as one of the most lethal shooters on a team with NBA Finals aspirations. It is not only his remarkable shooting talent that has earned him minutes with the Boston Celtics this season — Hauser has been defined by his work ethic throughout his basketball career.
He has never been the most athletic player in the gym, but the former Virginia guard has always worked so that did not end up defining the player he was. As a son of an assistant basketball coach, Hauser, and his brother Joey grew up engulfed in the game itself. Hauser’s father preached the idea of having confidence in yourself, on and off the court, especially when your shot may not be falling through the net. The 2016 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball dedicated himself to that mantra, continuing to believe in himself when there were people out there that did see much potential. Hauser chose to remain in his home state to attend college, choosing Marquette University.
While he blossomed in the Big East under Steve Wojciechowski, it was his choice to join Tony Bennett at Virginia where he put his name on the map. After being forced to sit out a year due to the NCAA’s transfer rules, Hauser demonstrated that his game would be able to translate to one of the most consistent basketball programs in the country.