Gordon Hayward says he was a goal on the defensive finish of the courtroom due to his pores and skin color.
Hayward appeared removed from upset when discussing the matter this week, as an alternative having amusing about it on The Dan Le Batard Present with Stugotz.
“For no matter purpose, if you see the white man guarding you, it’s like, ‘Let’s iso him and go at him,’” Hayward stated. “And so that you gotta hope that you just get to cease that the primary time, or else they’re simply going to maintain going at you each single time. And I undoubtedly wasn’t the worst defender on the workforce, however for no matter purpose, you test within the recreation and [they say] ‘We’re going at him. We’re going proper at him.’
“After we performed the Lakers one of many years and so they had Ron Artest… he appears at me after which appears again at Kobe and he’s like ‘Hey Kob, simply throw me the ball within the put up man. Look who’s guarding me. I’ve bought Bieber guarding me.’” @gordonhayward tells an unimaginable story… pic.twitter.com/pH05TFlUje
— Dan Le Batard Present with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 7, 2024
“I’m telling you, there’s just a few kind of stereotype. It’s like folks’s eyes mild up. I keep in mind, and this in all probability didn’t essentially must do with the truth that I used to be white, however perhaps it was like my face and hair and every thing. However once we performed the Lakers, I believe it was pre-season one of many years, and so they had Ron Artest. I checked within the recreation and he appears at me after which appears again at Kobe and appears at me and he’s like, “Hey, Kobe.” He’s like pointing at me like, “Simply throw me the ball within the put up, man. Look who’s guarding me. I bought Bieber gardening me.” And certain sufficient, you already know he simply posted me up and Ron Artest was actually good, I had no probability. I imply, what are you able to do? At that time, what am I going to do? What am I going to say to Ron Artest?”
To be honest to Hayward, he was an above-average defender in his prime, even when he wasn’t elite.
The previous Jazz and Celtics star is now retired after taking part in his last season in 2023-24 with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
READ MORE: Kobe Bryant’s Epic Message to Gordon Hayward Revealed
