Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team as one of the seven reserved announced by the NBA today. Hayward was voted onto the 12-man squad by Western Conference coaches for the 66th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. MT.
This is the first All-Star berth for Hayward and it marks the first All-Star appearance by a Jazzman since 2011 (Deron Williams).
In 40 games (all starts) for Utah, Hayward is averaging a career-high 21.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, along with 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.9 minutes per game and has helped the Jazz to a 29-18 start this season. He leads the team in scoring and free throw percentage while ranks second on the squad in assists per game. He earned his first NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors on Jan. 16. Hayward is one of just six players in the NBA to be averaging at least 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and .520 effective field goal percentage. In addition, earlier this season he passed Mehmet Okur (7,255) for ninth place on the Jazz career scoring list and Darrell Griffith (1,627) for ninth on the all-time franchise assist list, and also currently ranks second in Jazz annals for both three-pointers made (619) and attempted (1,697). The Jazz are 21-7 this season when Hayward scores 20-or-more points and 4-1 when he scores 30-plus points.
Hayward becomes the 12th Jazz player to be selected an All-Star, joining Carlos Boozer (2007-08), Adrian Dantley (1980-82, ‘84-86), Mark Eaton (1989), Rickey Green (1984), Andrei Kirilenko (2004), Karl Malone (1988-98, 2000-02), Pete Maravich (1977-79), Mehmet Okur (2007), Len “Truck” Robinson (1978), John Stockton (1989-97, 2000) and Deron Williams (2010, 2011).
Joining Hayward in New Orleans will be Jazz teammates Danté Exum and Trey Lyles, who were selected on Wednesday to play for the World Team in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend on Friday, Feb. 17.
The NBA All-Star Game will be televised by TNT and will also be available on the Watch TNT App and on TNT Overtime. In addition, the game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio, with audio also available on the ESPN app. The midseason classic will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.