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After hours of confusion and conflicting reports, Gordon Hayward finally made it official that he was Boston bound, penning an article for the Players' Tribune that confirmed the initial report of ESPN's Chris Haynes. 

"I have decided to join the Boston Celtics," Hayward wrote. 

This was a life-changing decision for me and my family, and something we took really seriously. And from the very start of this process, one thing stood out as important: I knew that I wanted the fans and the organizations to hear my decision directly from me.

After seven years in Utah, I have decided to join the Boston Celtics.

I know that will be tough to hear for Jazz fans — and I really want you all to know that you mean the world to me and my family. Over the past few days, I've been genuinely torn. And I know that this process isn't easy on the fans, either. So I just want to be as straight-up as possible about why I'm coming to Boston.

It was thrilling news for everyone in the Celtics organization, especially Danny Ainge, as the franchise finally secured a star after a summer full of rumors and reports that never came to fruition. 

Joining in the chorus of excitement was Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas. Shortly after the Hayward news was confirmed for real, Thomas commented on Hayward, saying he's "the type of player we needed to get to the Finals. I'm excited and can't wait to get to work."

After winning the Eastern Conference regular-season title, the Celtics, of course, came up short in the conference finals last season, losing the series 4-1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And with Hayward in town, they figure to be favorites to get back to that stage, though overtaking a Cavs team led by LeBron will be no easy task. Certainly, the addition of Hayward gives the Celtics a much better chance of doing so.