Gordon Hayward on Celtics' Rising Stars

0:00It's March 29th, from the locker room to your ears. This is Boston Celtics News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Gordon Hayward is reflecting on his first days with the Boston Celtics, zeroing in on the raw talent of Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. Back then, Brown was a rookie starting to flash serious potential, still green around the edges. That same offseason, Boston grabbed Tatum straight out of Duke, building a core that blew up fast. Hayward remembers pickup games that fall, facing these kids who held their own against vets. Tatum, just 19 years old, had every shot in the bag, driving, mid-range, threes, like he'd been doing it forever. What stood out was how poised they were, no moment too big even early on. Hayward got sideline by injury that season, but he saw Brown and Tatum handle pressure like pros. Kyrie Irving went down too, yet they pushed to the Eastern Conference Finals with Tatum stepping into a huge roll right away. It clicked for everyone.

1:01This duo was the real deal. Fast forward, and that foundation turned the Celtics into contenders, proving Hayward's early eyes were spot on.