Happy 27th Birthday to Gordon Hayward!

Today is Gordon Hayward’s 27th birthday, a great time to look back on his accomplishments as a Jazzman both on and off the court.

Seven years ago I was a ten year old boy with a deep love for the game of basketball, naturally glued to the T.V to watch March Madness. I didn’t know a ton about college basketball, but there were a few things that stood out to my ten year old basketball mind.

There were the NCAA royalty teams, whose programs seemed to always make a run every year and produce NBA-level talent, such as Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse. Then there were the underdog teams who stood out as scrappy teams fighting for an upset.

But the one team that piqued my interest the most was the Butler Bulldogs.

Being a small, private University that doesn’t even have a football team, Butler naturally would be overlooked by the media and fans. Their head coach Brad Stevens was just 33 years old at the time, and looked young enough that he should still be in college.

Their best player was a skinny white guy who played with a solid basketball I.Q, and a lot of heart. This player was named Gordon Hayward, and as soon as I saw him play I said to myself “I want him on the Jazz”.

Well, it turns out that Butler went to the final game of the big dance, and Hayward was the one who almost made the championship winning half-court shot. Fast forward to today and this skinny white player has become so much more than a feel-good story for March Madness.

The Utah Jazz selected Hayward with the ninth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and Hayward has only soared ever since. As a rookie he couldn’t seem to escape Jerry Sloan’s doghouse and get consistent rotation minutes, but under Sloan’s replacement Ty Corbin, Hayward found his niche as a do-it-all swingman.

He could defend positions 1 through 3 thanks to his 6-foot-8 frame and lateral quickness from his tennis background. He could handle the ball and make passes as if he were a point guard in a forward’s body. He could score on or off the ball, and make plays in transition or in the half-court offense. Basically he was a Swiss Army knife with so many things he was good at, but lacking one thing that made him great.

After securing a four year, $63 million deal in restricted free agency and getting married in the summer of 2014, Gordon came in to the 2014-15 season ready to take his game to a higher level than just a Swiss Army Knife, and coach Quin Snyder helped him do just that.

Hayward upped his scoring average from 16.2 to 19.3 points per game, while also improving his efficiency from a paltry 41 and 30 percent from the field and three point land to a respectable 44 and 36 percent. He went toe-to-toe with LeBron James and hit the epic game-winner in a memorable performance against the Cavs.

For the next two seasons Hayward continued to maintain his all-around game while evolving as the alpha dog for the Jazz. Yet, doubt still lingered that Gordon wasn’t a legit number one option on a championship contending team.

With Hayward entering a contract year and the Jazz lacking a playoff berth since 2012, Gordon took his off-season training to a higher intensity last summer. He stayed in Salt Lake City to work out at the Jazz’s facility with assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, and the hard work has paid off.

Gordon had this to say about himself last January:

"I’m really proud of the start I’ve had to this season. I put in a lot of hard work and a lot of preparation went into playing at this level. I’ve written about it before, but just the amount of work that I put in, to have the season that I’m having, it’s great to see it pay off. I’ve spent countless hours in the gym, as well as studying and film work—to see what I did well, what I didn’t do well, and trying to improve on it. It’s constant evolution."

Gordon has upped his scoring average again, from 19 points per game the last two seasons to 22 this season. He has been a nightly force for opponents to contain, tying the franchise record for consecutive 20 point games with Karl Malone’s, and most recently, notching a career high against the Pacers last Monday.

The Jazz are on track to earn their first playoff berth in five years, thanks to Hayward’s steady contribution and leadership, which is desperately needed for the Jazz at the moment. Off the court Hayward has demonstrated a greater love for the Utah community, and has spoken his mind on his official blog.

He bought a house in the Salt Lake Valley, and chose to stay in Salt Lake last summer for the birth of his second daughter rather than train in his hometown Indiana, and even turned down an Olympic roster spot to stay in Salt Lake. It’s clear Gordon has made his commitment to become a better basketball player, and more importantly, a hands-on Dad.

With the strides Gordon has taken as a husband and father and as a basketball player, it’s safe to say I couldn’t be prouder to have him be the face of the Jazz franchise. So please join me in wishing Gordon a happy birthday!

*(All stats courtesty of basketball-reference.com and NBA.com)