Like many fathers, Gordon Hayward’s dad dreamed of playing neck-and-neck basketball games in the driveway with his son. Unfortunately, those games were short-lived because a high school growth spurt took his son from 5 feet 10 inches tall as a freshman to 6 foot 8 inches before high school graduation.
“I always thought that we would be out there every night after dinner just going with epic battles,” said Gordon Hayward Sr. in an installment of SB Nation’s “Origins” series. “You know, when he was a freshman, he was under me, and I just kind of bullied him, and then all of the sudden he grew, and I’m under him, and he’s bullying me.”
Hayward’s parents and his twin sister, Heather, joined the Jazz player on “Origins” to discuss what his basketball career has meant for their family. Conversations about everything from neighborhood games of “Kick the Can” to the most memorable moments of his career make it clear that the Hayward family has taken Gordon’s ride to the NBA together.
Watch the entire video here.