Utah Jazz: Jae Crowder Feels Disrespected By Gordon Hayward Cheers
Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder was less than thrilled by fans cheering for Utah Jazz star Gordon Hayward at TD Garden.
Perhaps the biggest subplot to the 2016-17 season for the Utah Jazz is Gordon Hayward’s upcoming free agency. While the team holds a 22-14 record and is firmly in the playoff race in the Western Conference, the fear that he could potentially look for a new home this offseason is always present for Jazz fans.
One potential destination for Hayward is Boston, where the Jazz faced the Celtics on Tuesday night. It’s a fact that wasn’t lost on fans at TD Garden, who actually cheered for Hayward when lineups were introduced before the game.
It makes sense; Hayward has friendship with Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who was also his coach as a collegiate at Butler. Then there’s the matter of the internet rumor mill constantly being flush with stories about the Jazz star heading to Bean Town. Celtics fans are wise to these things and were clearly making their pitch.
To say that Celtics forward Jae Crowder wasn’t on-board is an understatement. After the Celtics beat the Jazz 115-104, Crowder, who plays the same position as Hayward, said he felt disrespected.
“I heard the cheering before the game. I didn’t like that at all. I think that was a sign of disrespect to me from the fans. That sparked a little fire in me,” he said. “I just felt disrespected.”
Crowder responded by scoring 21 points and hit five three-pointers in the game. Hayward led the Jazz with 23 in a losing effort.
The fireworks continued on social media, as Crowder took Celtics fans to task on Twitter–
This tweet prompted Celtics fans to fire back at Crowder. One fan taunted him by saying, “Welcome to boston jae..love it or leave it.” Crowder’s response — “I HAVE NO PROBLEM LEAVING IT.!” However, that tweet has since been deleted.
More from Purple and Blues
Although he probably needs to filter some of his thoughts in the future, you can’t blame Crowder for being less-than-thrilled about what transpired.
Meanwhile, Hayward seems more concerned with winning games and getting into the playoffs than his summer plans.
