Hornets star, 33, says former majority owner Michael Jordan’s presence creates ‘nervous’ aura

Gordon Hayward has been in the NBA for more than a decade and is currently in his third year with the Charlotte Hornets, whom he joined in 2020. For those who don’t know, Michael Jordan owned part of the Hornets from 2006 until 2023, when he sold his majority stake. During this time he often watched the team’s games, sometimes from his suite and sometimes from the bench.

Hayward recalled that playing for Jordan and having him come to the team’s games was a shocking experience.in a recent episode Paul George Podcast, he revealed that when Jordan was watching games from the bench, he would get mad at the referees. There is nothing scarier than being observed by one of the greatest athletes in the sport.

Trying to impress MJ is the hardest part

Hayward remembers how,"When he sat down, on the bench, I mean, he was yelling. It was absolutely nerve-wracking to have him sitting there.I mean, it’s the goat.“. As if that wasn’t enough, Hayward has been worried that he won’t be able to impress Jordan because, in his words, “What am I going to do out there that won’t impress him?He’s done it all, seen it all“.

That season, Hayward set the third-highest scoring average of his career (19.6 points), in addition to 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He was one of the few players taken in the 2010 NBA Draft to remain on an NBA roster despite suffering career-threatening injuries, and he remained productive on the court. This season, Hayward is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. At 33 years old, he is about to end the final chapter of his career.

take it day by day

Hayward admits retirement is coming,”Since my injury I like to take it game by game because you never know which game will be your last“. In 2017, while playing for the Celtics, he suffered an embarrassing fall after hitting LeBron, who was playing for the Cavaliers at the time. This resulted in a horrific leg injury that left him with a broken tibia and a dislocated ankle.

Michael Jordan admits ‘players were sick’ as he crowned two-time NBA champions with ‘Eye of the Tiger’

It was a major accident that brought his performance to a standstill. For now, Hayward is grateful to have been with the Hornets for so long and is very happy to play for the Hornets. “Now I love playing in Charlotte“After a career filled with injuries, he said he strives to give his best in every game.

Watch this story – Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once admitted 19-year-old Andrew Wiggins reminded him of his glory days and ‘looked like a reflection of myself’