Gordon Hayward Career Stats: How the Recently Retired Jazz Legend Became “White Man’s Answer to Manu Ginobli”

Some epic dunks, posterizing prime LeBron James, and 14 awe-worthy seasons later, Gordon Hayward is riding off into the sunset. He announced his retirement, leaving Paul George the last man standing in the 2010 draft class. He joins Evan Turner, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Eric Bledsoe in the post-NBA second act. If that doesn’t signal the dynamic shift in the league (or not, the 2003 chosen one is still playing and with his son), then the reactions of his fellow NBA stalwarts sum it up.

Evan Turner’s response to Hayward’s retirement was, “He was the white man’s answer to manu ginobli.” You might forget that he averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 835 games because of his lack of appearances in the past season. But, a little reminder goes a long way.

That time Gordon Hayward was mean to PG13

Indiana native, Gordon Hayward came into the NBA on a high. He had led the Butler Bulldogs to the 2010 NCAA championship. His buzzer-beater attempt was missed, and he lost to Duke but had enough draft stock to skip the last two years of eligibility. Utah Jazz selected him 9th overall. Paul George was selected by the Pacers right after him.

The two rookies met in a game that resulted in an infamous moment that traumatized George. Hayward. who was more famous for his terrible haircut at that time, was making a drive, PG tried to block him, messed up, and Hayward dunked over with his left hand. It was so grand, the Indiana crowd was cheering for the Utah star. That was also his only bucket that game.

Hayward was criticized for the inconsistent shots that haunted him since the buzzer-beater in the NCAA championship. But at 6’7″, he had a kind of athleticism that slipped under the radar before it was too late to block him. So, his dunks looked mighty casual to a third person. Not for Podcast P, who used the opportunity when Hayward was on his show to let out his grudge.

“You’re flying down the court. As soon as I jumped, I just knew this was stupid. You punched the s**t on me with the left hand,” George said. Hayward showed no remorse for PG’s pain. Well, now he’s got free time for a rematch.

Hayward embarrassed The Greek Freak

Hayward had stayed with Jazz till 2017. That season, he averaged  21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. In his final season in Utah, he did the cruelest thing to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Like PG, he jumped for a block when Hayward was on the fastbreak. Like they’re re-enacting Space Jam, both made obvious eye contact mid-air while Hayward dunked with both hands.

Two-handed dunks have become rare. Even rarer now that Hayward is not going to be around. In the same game, he dunked on Bucks’ newbie, Thon Maker. That’s not so unbelievable. But superbly extendable Giannis? That landed in the poster dunk hall of fame.

Hayward’s atrocities continued that season. He proceeded to posterize John Wall in another game, and the list of people Hayward gleefully disrespected gets longer.

That game LeBron would like to forget

It’s ironic that he’s neither a high-flyer nor a dunker. Yet he has a collection of posterizing the most athletic players, including LeBron James. The Jazz hosted the Cavs with a prime Bron in the 2014-15 season. From some angles, it looked like Hayward and James were battling one-on-one through the game.

When both teams were tied at 100, Hayward had a career-defining moment with three seconds on the clock. He shook off Bron, caught a pass, made a drive, and made a mid-range jumper over Tristan Thompson. The buzzer declared Jazz the winner with Hayward’s heroics. Safe to say, no one saw that coming.

Gordon Hayward’s Career High

Hayward was disparaged for not being a winner. Injuries hampered him, he had one All-Star appearance in 2017, no championships, and next to no titles. From a strictly entertainment perspective though, he packed it. He landed in Boston after Jazz where big things were expected with Kyrie Irving and rising star, Jaylen Brown. They dominated the East but didn’t make it far.

It was only when he arrived in Charlotte that the veteran Hayward emerged as a shotmaker for the Hornets. He redeemed himself from his inconsistent past in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He nailed most shots, made 12 free throws, and collected 44 points that night, the highest score of his career.

Significantly, he bounced back from serious injuries to achieve that. It was plenty to establish that at his peak physicality, Gordon Hayward was an offensive force. Now his draft mates can breathe easily as he won’t embarrass them anymore.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us in the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.