Utah Jazz fans are putting on the full-court press in an effort to convince Gordon Hayward to stay with the team.
Jazz fan Garrett Jones started a GoFundMe page on Tuesday in the hopes of purchasing a billboard in Salt Lake City between the Jazz practice facility and the Vivint Smart Home Arena for the entire month of May. The proposed design has “STAYWARD” written next to an image of the All-Star forward.
“Here in Utah, we’ve seen it too many times. Draft the good player, watch him become a great player, and then watch him leave in free agency,” Jones wrote. “We as fans have been patient with this rebuild to get to this point. Hayward and [Rudy] Gobert are the core of what could be a great team in coming years. Let’s show Gordon how much he means to this city and fan base.”
In just one day, the GoFundMe has already raised $1,425 from 144 donors out of its listed $5,000 goal (as of the time of publication).
Hayward, 27, was drafted by the Jazz in 2010 and has played his entire seven-year career thus far in Utah. But he can become a free agent after the season, and the rumor mill has already linked him with multiple other teams.
We’ve seen some creative fundraising campaigns like this from NBA fanbases in the recent past, so hopefully it catches Hayward’s attention as he begins to mull his long-term NBA future.
