07/24/2024
๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Boston Celtics believed in Sam Hauser when no other NBA team did, and now they have doubled down on their commitment to each other.
The undrafted-free-agent-turned-NBA-champion penned a fresh page in his remarkable basketball story Tuesday by signing a contract extension with the Cโs.
After each team passed on Hauser in the 2021 NBA draft, the Celtics gave the University of Virginia product a chance with a two-way contract. Hauser worked his way up from there to a standard contract by his second season, earning consistent minutes in the rotation. By his third season, Hauser was one of Bostonโs main pieces off the bench and played a key role in the teamโs championship run.
โIโm a believer in things happening for a reason,โ Hauser told Celtics.com on the night Boston captured its 18th title. โThe Celtics gave me an opportunity, and I just try to make the most of it every day, try to get better every day.โ
Hauser has improved in every aspect of the game since joining the Celtics. He came in as a strong shooter and from there, developed into one of the premier marksmen in the league. He currently owns the best 3-point percentage in Celtics history (42.2 percent) among players who have played multiple seasons with the team.
Heโs also become a reliable defender, making him a legitimate 3-and-D threat. On top of that, heโs been a model teammate, bringing a positive presence to the locker room every day.
โYou can count on Sam,โ Stevens said. โHe comes to work every single day with the right mindset and attitude. His shooting gets most of the attention โ but his feel for the game, defensive versatility, and his consistency as a teammate have allowed him to impact our team in the biggest of moments. We are excited Sam has decided to extend his contract with the Celtics.โ
Hauser is coming off his best season yet after producing 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for the champs. He shot 42.4 percent from long range, the fourth-best mark in the NBA among players with at least 400 such attempts. Of his 197 made threes, 179 were of catch-and-shoot fashion, the sixth-most in the league.
Hauser is the eighth Celtic to commit to an extension since April, joining Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, Neemias Queta, and two-way player Drew Peterson. The team also extended Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Payton Pritchard before the start of last season.
Bostonโs front office is all-in on its championship crew and Hauser is a major piece in that. Heโs come a long way from his days as an undrafted free agent and heโs earned this long-term commitment from the team after all of the hard work heโs put in over the last three years.