Jae Crowder Didn't Appreciate Boston Fans Cheering For Gordon Hayward

During pregame introductions at last night’s Jazz-Celtics game, Jazz forward Gordon Hayward received a warm welcome from the Boston crowd. There are many things you could read into the crowd’s decision to cheer for Hayward, but the most obvious one is this: Hayward is a free agent next year, and Celtics fans would like to see him on their team.

The warm reception Hayward received did not sit too well with Jae Crowder, the Celtics’ current small forward who would likely have to cede his starting position if Hayward ever came to Boston. Crowder voiced his displeasure to reporters after the game, and followed up on Twitter:

In another now-deleted tweet, Crowder informed a sassy fan that he would have no problem leaving Boston:

This is an issue Crowder has been publicly sensitive about before. In July, CSN New England tweeted an article about how the Celtics might target Hayward in free agency this summer, and Crowder had this response:

Crowder’s angst over Boston’s flirtations with Hayward is totally understandable. He was a second-round draft pick out of Marquette in 2012, and spent his first few years in the league fighting to earn a rotation spot in Dallas. Now he’s a starter in Boston and a key component to their success, and the thanks he gets is having to watch his home fans lust after another player who would send him back to the bench.