CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a time when many veteran NBA players are doing anything they can to join a “super team” in hopes of winning a championship, Gordon Hayward is a bit of an anomaly.
Hayward took the road less traveled this offseason when he opted out of his contract with the high-profile Celtics and chose to come to Charlotte to take on a more prominent role and the opportunity to help build a young Hornets team into a playoff contender.
So far, so good. The 11-year NBA veteran is averaging a career-high 22.3 points along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the playoff-starved Hornets, who are 13-15 and in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.