Boston Celtics shooter Sam Hauser had a funny story to share.
Being a celebrity is part being recognized and part being recognized for someone else. This holds true for actors, singers, and the hundreds of NBA stars who play every year. And according to Hauser, this happens more often than not.
Boston Celtics Player Recalls Story of Being Mistaken for Another NBA Icon
In a recent episode of the “White Noise Podcast w/Derrick White,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser recalled a hilarious story with a fan. Well, a fan of retired Celtics player and 2017 All-Star Gordon Hayward.
According to Hauser, he was in Boston when a fan mistook him for Hayward. The 27-year-old chalked it up to his beard and hair being similar to Hayward’s get-up.
“I was in the airport one time, in Boston. And this is when I had this hairdo — and the beard. And some guy comes up to me, goes, ‘what’s up Gordon?’. Like Gordon Hayward. I’m like, ‘that’s not me, man’,” Hauser explained. “And he goes, ‘I know what you’re doing. Have a good flight, man’. I’m like…those interactions are hilarious. They’re sold on it.”
The two players — not even playing at the same time — certainly do have similar features, making the fan’s misunderstanding completely understandable.
Hauser, who went undrafted in 2021, signed a two-way contract with the Celtics in the same year. However, the 27-year-old has been in Boston for five seasons, emerging as an impressive and reliable shooter for the organization.
This season, Hauser is averaging 6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 33.9% from the field and 34% from the three-point line. He has shot 44.2% from the field and 41.4% from the three-point line in his five-season career, easily making him a standout shooter for the Celtics.
Hayward, on his end, played with the Celtics from 2017 to 2020. A round one pick by the Utah Jazz in 2010, Hayward was with the Jazz for seven years before moving around in the league. He retired in 2024, having also played for the Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Hayward averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in his career while shooting 45.5% from the field.
The Celtics Continue To Power Through Without Jayson Tatum
That being said, Hauser and the Celtics are currently playing without Jayson Tatum. Recovering from a ruptured right Achilles, Tatum is yet to make his 2025-26 return.
And while Celtics fans are hoping to see their superstar back on the court, head coach Joe Mazzulla is choosing to focus on his impact on the team as he recovers.
“I have no idea. I never thought about it,” Mazzulla said on Tatum’s chances of returning this season.
“He’s on the bench for every game. He’s on the trips. He’s working out during practice. He is in the film rooms. He’s at shootarounds. That’s how he’s leading, with his presence, and that’s how he’s preparing to come back whenever that is. That’s the only thing that matters,” the HC continued.
Ranked eighth with a 10-8 win-loss record, the Celtics will face the Minnesota Timberwolves for their next game on Saturday, November 29.