Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward made headlines recently, but not for anything he did on the court.

The 25-year-old came to gaming’s defense when former ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd criticized competitive gaming and the people who play during a recent segment of his show. The fiery and outspoken Cowherd said competitive gamers live with their parents, eat Hot Pockets, enjoy Star Wars, and have never had sex.

This didn’t exactly sit well with Hayward, the ninth pick in the 2010 NBA draft, who educated Cowherd during a follow-up (watch the video below). Needless to say, the story caught our attention.

So we got in touch with Hayward to talk more about his gaming background, why he so quickly came to gaming’s defense, whether or not his gaming habits are unique for an NBA player, and more. Check out our interview with Hayward below, while you can see the 2015-2016 Utah Jazz schedule here.

Outside of basketball, I’ve heard gaming is your one true passion. How and why were you first drawn to gaming in general?

I was first drawn to gaming in general because of the competitive nature of video games. It pitted you against someone else in a chance to see who was better. In my nature, I’m a very competitive person, so that was my initial draw to video games. Video games gave me another platform for competition.

How did that grow into an appreciation for competitive gaming specifically?

I grew to respect competitive gaming over time. At first, I saw how competitive Halo was being played, and the amount of time the pro teams put into the game in order to be the best. I went to tournaments of my own and competed in them and saw first hand the communication and team work the top teams had. I knew then that competitive gaming was not something easy or something that everyone could do. As time went on I saw other titles like StarCraft and League of Legends played in competitive form. It’s unreal the dedication and commitment it takes to be the best at those games.

“I felt like the comments [Colin Cowherd[ made were ridiculous, and I wanted for him to know the truth” — Hayward

What about it is so appealing to you?

I think the appealing part for me is the fact that just like traditional sports, esports has leagues and championships and rankings and just about everything professional sports has to offer.

What games do you play/follow the most and why?

Right now I play and follow League of Legends the most. I think this is because it is a 5v5 team game that has individual matchups in each game, just like a basketball game has. I love that dynamic.

What was your reaction when you heard about Colin Cowherd’s take on gaming? Why did you feel you needed to get in touch and educate him?

I felt like the comments he made were ridiculous, and I wanted for him to know the truth.

Cowherd caters to the mainstream crowd; do you worry that what he said and how he said it could negatively affect the perception of video games to a wider audience?

I honestly think that he got a lot of criticism for what he said, and that most people are starting to realize just how big of a deal video games is becoming.

Gaming is obviously a big deal to you, but are you unique in the NBA, or do other players just not talk about it as much as you do?

Gaming is a big deal with everyone in the locker room. Every one of my teammates plays video games to some extent. The difference is that I am very interested in the esports side of video games where as I think a lot of my teammates just play games casually.

Fantasy sports sites like Draft Kings and FanDuel are now getting into gaming, too; what’s your take on that?

With the following that esports has I think its a no-brainer for those sites to get involved in gaming.

Do you think video games will ever be adopted and appreciated like basketball or any other traditional sport? What’s it going to take for that to happen?

I do not know if video games will ever be appreciated the same way as traditional sports. I cannot tell the future. However, I do think that it will have just as big as a following as traditional sports, real soon. I think it’s a generational thing, and the younger generations will for sure be more involved and more interested.

You now have a child of your own; will you play games with her?

No doubt! I can’t wait to play some games with her!