Gordon Hayward ditched Heat for Celtics in 2017

Though it hasn't appeared evident over the previous seven years, as Hayward fades into obscurity before retiring on August 1, Gordon Hayward made the right decision in 2017 when he chose the Boston Celtics over the Miami Heat in free agency.

If nothing else, Hayward did the right thing by Brad Stevens, the Butler University collegiate coach who helped launch his career. In Boston, he secured a contract to become one of Stevens' biggest stars in the professional ranks. Because of Hayward's injuries and his bad fit with a wing-heavy rotation that included Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, things didn't work out that way. However, it was Hayward's line of reasoning, as he disclosed on The Dan Le Batard Show on August 7. Reuniting with Brad Stevens was the purpose. It was sold by Brad, according to Hayward. "It's challenging to compete against someone I worked with at Butler. He really influenced my life.