Here’s what Danny Ainge should (and shouldn’t) do to recruit Gordon Hayward to Boston
With the league moratorium starting July 1, official free agent Gordon Hayward has a busy weekend ahead of him as he decides where he should play next season. The Utah Jazz forward has arranged visits with a duo of suitors, the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, before he returns home for a meeting with his current team.
Boston sees Hayward as a high priority, which means president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is likely looking to impress when the NBA All-Star comes to town. Here’s what the Celtics should consider doing if they want to recruit the 27-year-old to their city:
1. Serve donuts for breakfast
Boston has no shortage of donut shops, making it the perfect opportunity for Ainge to give Hayward a taste of his favorite cheat meal. While he might be inclined to woo him with sweet treats topped with bacon, there’s no need to branch out into specialty varieties, as the Indiana native’s favorite flavor is glazed.
2. Rally on the tennis court
In high school, Hayward was actually almost recruited to play tennis at Purdue.
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The 6’8″ star still loves the game and played frequently in Utah, so if Ainge is looking for an active break from basketball talk, the pair should hit a different type of court for a quick game.
3. Jam out with some video games
If the weather in the city doesn’t hold up, Hayward is also a huge gamer. He’s listed Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda, and Halo as some of his childhood favorites but has taken more of a liking to League of Legends in recent years.
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In fact, Ainge could use the video game session as an opportunity to observe some of Hayward’s potential in-game qualities.
“For me, it’s just another outlet for competition,” he said, via KSL Sports. “It’s another way to have fun.”
4. Don’t bring Tom Brady
Although Ainge might have brought the New England Patriots quarterback to his meeting with Kevin Durant last season, Brady might not be the best option for Hayward’s visit. A diehard Indianapolis Colts fan, Hayward has said that he “can’t stand” the five-time Super Bowl champ.
If the team executive is still on the hunt for a special guest, he might want to consider Celtics legend Larry Bird. When asked who he would most want to play one-on-one with, Hayward picked Bird since he’s also from Indiana, and of course, one of the all-time greats.
5. Chow down on some Chipotle (with an added ingredient)
While Ainge’s love for the burrito joint is well-documented, the Celtics offseason signing target is also a huge fan of Chipotle. If Ainge really wants to make an good impression on his prospective player, he should plan on bringing some queso — an ingredient Hayward wishes the chain had.
I wish chipotle had queso…it’s still fire though
— Gordon Hayward (@gordonhayward) June 16, 2011
6. Don’t shush him
Father of two kids, Hayward’s pet peeve is when his wife shushes him.
“Now that I have children, life’s kind of changed a little bit,” he said in an interview. “Robyn is always shushing me because she thinks I’m going to wake up the girls. And that really gets me going.”
7. Have a bulldog on call
Both Hayward’s high school and college mascot are a bulldog, so it can’t hurt to have one readily available to give him a dose of nostalgia—especially since his head coach at Butler happens to be current Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
