Former Celtics star Gordon Hayward retires, leaving fans with a sense of "what-if" after his career-altering injury

Former Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward retired earlier today, and many fans are sad due to the news. From 2010 to 2018, Hayward was a phenomenal player, leading Butler University to back to back Final Four appearances, and then getting drafted and becoming a star for the Utah Jazz.

Then in the 2017 offseason, Hayward decided to reunite with his old college coach, Brad Stevens, on the Celtics. However, in his first game as a Celtic against the Cleveland Cavaliers, disaster struck. Hayward suffered a horrible leg injury, one he never fully recovered from. Here’s what may have happened if he was able to land normally.

If Hayward never got injured, he would have been a top scorer that season for the Celtics. He was coming off an All-Star season, where he averaged 22 points, five rebounds, and three and a half assists per game. Hayward would have brought that output to the Celtics under his old coach, and he could have been the star they needed.

Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and the young duo of rookie Jayson Tatum and sophomore Jaylen Brown would have been a premiere offense in the league under Stevens, and they probably would have done what they fell short of, which was defeat LeBron James and the same Cavaliers they faced in the opening game of the season.

Even if they hadn’t beaten them, a prime Hayward would have been an amazing teacher for the young Jays, as he could teach them how to be great forwards. Also, him being there might have convinced Kyrie to actually stay true to his word and remain in Boston. They might have won a title in the late 2010s.

Then again, that is all a “what-if”. Hayward was never the same player after his injury, and his career never reached its full potential. But Hayward himself is still a legend, and a player to be remembered.

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