Gordon Hayward on Celtics fans: 'They know a little bit more'

BOSTON — Gordon Hayward hasn't been a member of the Boston Celtics for very long, but that hasn't stopped the region's fanbase from making an impression on him already.

The 27-year-old All-Star gave a nod to the locals when pressed upon how he would deal with a high pressure atmosphere like the one Boston presents on the sports landscape. Here's the full exchange:

Reporter: “Question for Kyrie and Gordon. This city and fanbase is loyal to a core, but at the same time, if you don’t play well, this fanbase lets you know. How do you guys plan to deal with both sides? The times when it’s fantastic and times when it’s not going so well and [the fans] are all over you?

Hayward:  “I think we’ve been in this league long enough to realize that it’s like that in a lot of places. I think what’s special about here is that it seems like they are pretty educated sports fans here, so they know a little bit more. For us, at least for me individually, I’ve never tried to get too high on the highs or too low on the lows, because it can change really quickly either way, and I don’t really try to look at what outside people think, we look at who is in the locker room. We believe in ourselves and kind of keep it moving from there.”

Utah fans and (even some media members) were fuming about this quote on social media on Friday afternoon, but it's quite evident this wasn't meant as a shot at the Jazz fanbase by Hayward. Instead, this is simply an acknowledgement in my mind that Boston is going to hold your feet to the fire a bit more than other parts of the country. The region is passionate about all four sports and Hayward knows he's going to have to be ready for that coming in. You can bet it's something he's talked with Brad Stevens about in the last couple months and observed over the years as a visitor at the TD Garden. Al Horford referenced the passion of the Boston fans as being a factor in his decision to choose Boston last summer and it appears that kind of intensity appealed to Hayward once again in July.

In the meantime, the former Jazz star can only hope Utah fans won't use this quote as more fuel to the fire when he makes his return to Salt Lake City on March 27th as a visitor for the first time.