Gordon Hayward Wife and Kids: Exploring the Ex-NBA Star’s Reason Behind a Happy Retirement

After 14 seasons, Gordon Hayward has called it an NBA career. In a statement, he thanked everyone who supported him throughout his career. Five people got special mentions. “The biggest and most important thank you,” went to Robyn Hayward, his wife and ride-or-die. She’s been there for the majority of the highs and lows of his career. Very recently, we saw that she’s his fiercest defender too. While she’s his OG cheerleader, their four little ones are his inspiration.

Hayward’s immediate post-NBA plan is to spend more time with his family. It’s worth a look to know who gets all of the former Utah Jazz star’s time now.

The one-woman Gordan Hayward hype team – Robyn Hayward

Indiana natives, Robyn Van Vliet and Gordon Hayward were dating for five months when they were engaged on Christmas Eve of 2013. Hayward was 23, three seasons into his NBA career with the Utah Jazz. Van Vliet was a fresh graduate of Bishop Chatard High School. She was a top volleyball player who led her school to a state championship but she seemingly didn’t continue playing after school.

They married on May 24, 2014, at St. Simon the Apostle Church in Indianapolis. Robyn would dedicate herself to philanthropy as an NBA WAG since. From serving in food banks to promoting girls’ basketball at local youth centers, she’s been at the forefront of it all. Robyn even pulled her husband into organizing a basketball clinic in Boston for 50 female athletes. Their own kids enjoyed playing with the middle-schoolers at the clinic.

They would remain in Utah until 2017 when Hayward was traded to Boston. In 2020, they made Charlotte their home as he played with the Hornets. The Haywards were briefly Oklahoma-bound after the 2024 trade deadline. He made his debut as a Thunder in one game. But he’d not play in the postseason, which apparently irked Robyn.

In May, Thunder GM, Sam Presti, took responsibility for signing off on the Hayward trade that sent Tre Mann, Vasilije Micić, Dāvis Bertāns, and draft picks to the Hornets. That made Robyn fire back on social media, “Why trade for someone and not play them… missed it by not integrating him.” 

This wasn’t a one-time thing. In 2022-23, Hayward had to sit out a game. Hornets cited a shoulder contusion, a generally minor injury. Robyn slammed the team online, stating that he had a fractured scapula. “They had him play with [the injury] last game… that’s why he couldn’t move his arm up in the last game.” 

Robyn would remain the most outspoken about teams not displaying enough concern for players’ health. And her passion is probably why Hayward said, “Without you, I don’t know where I’d be. You embody all these roles and so much more!” 

Robyn is looking forward to showing him what’s it like because she wrote, “Now you get to see what life’s like at home with these 4 crazy kids and dogs. I am so happy to get to spend forever with you at home.” Something he’s going to enjoy in his second act would be full-time dad duties to their kids.

Baby makes six for the Hayward brood

After their first wedding anniversary, Robyn and Gordon welcomed their first child together, their eldest daughter Bernadette “Bernie” Marie Hayward on June 6, 2015. Their second daughter, Charlotte “Charlie” Margaret Hayward, was born on July 11, 2016. Their youngest daughter, Nora Mae, was born on January 24, 2019.

And yes, the girls have the basketball chops. Hayward was mostly occupied with training and playing, a regret he expressed in his retirement statement. One of the few heartwarming times Gordon showed what a girl-dad he is when his daughters joined him in his basketball clinics. Bernie and Charlie played against older girls who were coached by Gordon.

Hilariously, he’s gone viral twice for his reactions at his youngest two daughters’ gender reveal parties. He’s adapted to the girl dad life exquisitely, regardless. Just when we thought he was halfway to his own WNBA team, they welcomed their fourth child, this time their first boy, on September 23, 2020. You know how happy the NBA star was because they named their son after him, Gordon Theodore Hayward. Though his initial nickname was “Theo,” the youngest Hayward is better known as GT.

The senior GT missed the youngest one’s arrival. Robyn gave birth on the day the Boston Celtics played against the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. (Celtics lost 112-109). Hayward was in the NBA Bubble and going to see Robyn and their newborn would mean missing at least two games then.

When retiring, he mentioned his four kids while saying, “You have been my inspiration, encouraging me to keep playing even when I could have been at home with you.” Now he gets to make up for it. Maybe we’ll see more of the Hayward kids’ hoops skills now.