Only Gordon Hayward knows best how to balance his personal and professional obligations.
Former NBA player Eddie Johnson on Tuesday detailed a key question he’d ask the Boston Celtics forward, as hypothetical teammates, about his intention to leave the NBA’s Orlando bubble in order to attend the birth of his fourth child. Robyn Hayward is due to give birth in September. The Eastern Conference semifinals are scheduled to begin no later than Aug. 30. The timetables mean the Celtics might be without Hayward, one of their key players, for an extended period of time in at a critical moment in the season. Johnson would ask Hayward directly if he’s willing to let down his team in the event they struggle without him.
“I would have said ‘I understand what you’re doing, man,'” Johnson said. “I think what you’re doing is the right thing to do … but I just want you to know the repercussions past that, right? This is your opportunity to win a title. You’re going to leave a team. We’re counting on you. ‘Are you going to be able to handle all those issues that will come up if we lose, and we knew we lost – and only we know it internally – that we lost because we did not have you. So how would you be able to handle that?’
“That’s what I would talk about with a teammate that was in that situation. But again, ultimately it’s going to be his decision.”
Gordon Hayward is reportedly considering leaving the NBA bubble in Orlando for the birth of his child.@Jumpshot8 tells @TermineRadio how he'd handle it if he was Hayward's teammate. pic.twitter.com/xW6I8r9mfk
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 7, 2020
As stated before, it’s a question Hayward must consider. From the sounds of things, he already has and made up his mind.
