While the NBA is populated by its fair share of young players, it's still a place dominated by veterans who have given their all and more to the game. The league is filled with grown men who, each and every day, battle for their spots on the team. One player who knows all about this is Jae Crowder .
A 6'6" forward who was renowned for his toughness on defense and penchant for playing his role to a T, Crowder was always a fan favorite at each of the nine stops of his 13-year NBA career. This included his three-year run with the Boston Celtics . However, there was a moment in 2017 when Jae railed against something the Celtics' faithful did: cheer for an opposing player.
Jae was a key cog for the Celtics during his stay there. He was a full-time starter in his last two seasons there and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017, where they lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers . However, it was no secret that the Celtics sought an upgrade at the wing position and targeted Utah Jazz All-Star Gordon Hayward .
So when Hayward and the Jazz visited the TD Center in January 2017 to play the Celtics, he was greeted by cheers during the pregame introductions, which didn't sit well with Crowder.
"I heard the cheering before the game. I didn't like that at all," Crowder proclaimed . "I think that was a sign of disrespect to me from the fans. That sparked a little fire in me."
The former Marquette ace had every reason to feel slighted. After all, he played his butt off each and every night for the Celtics, sacrificing his body defensively and averaging double-digit scoring numbers in two of his three seasons with the team, including a career-high 14.2 points per game during the 2015-16 season.
"I just felt disrespected," he added.
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Jae played with a chip on his shoulder in that game and let his feelings be known with a scintillating performance of 21 points on a sizzling 6-for-8 shooting. Most importantly, he reminded the Celtics of his immense value by leading them to a 115-104 victory.
Jae's game had never been sexy, and neither was his reputation, which played a role in the Celtics' desire to move on from him. The Celtics eventually snagged Gordon, who signed an eye-popping four-year, $128 million contract with them.
However, Hayward's career in Beantown did not get off to a good start as he suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg in his first game with the Celtics. Early in the game, Gordon tried to catch an alley-oop pass from Kyrie Irving but landed awkwardly, resulting in the severe leg injury that ruled him out for the rest of the 2017-18 season.
He returned the following season but struggled to regain his form, averaging only 11.5 points. Hayward's final season in Boston was marred by injuries that limited him to playing in only 52 games. Meanwhile, Crowder had successful stints in Miami and Phoenix, making back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2021.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
