Meet the First Triton to Reach the NBA

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Less than a year after earning his degree from UC San Diego in 2025, Hayden Gray became the first Triton to ever play in the NBA. Gray made his debut for the Utah Jazz last month in Los Angeles against the Lakers. He recently joined the Tritoncast podcast from LionTree Arena to talk about what it was like to play against future Hall of Famer LeBron James; spending the past winter playing professionally for the Maine Celtics in the NBA’s developmental G-League; favorite memories from a championship season in La Jolla and more. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Tell us what it was like when you found out that you were going to be signing with Utah and potentially playing in an NBA game.  

When I got the call from my agent, I was pretty surprised because my G-League season was over. I thought my rookie season had come to a close. It really wasn't on my radar that that was even a possibility. When I first heard the news, I had fun telling my mom and calling my brother and my girlfriend – those are the people who were super excited and I was most excited to tell.  

Can you describe what it was like when you walked out onto that arena floor for the first time as an NBA player?    

It was a very surreal feeling and made me think about my whole journey as a basketball player. Growing up as a young kid, I had dreamed of a day like that. And then as I got older, through high school, I didn't have any Division I offers. No one had ever gone to the NBA from UC San Diego. It wasn't really something that I was envisioning for myself, I thought I wanted to play pro, but I didn't see the NBA in the cards for me. For that moment to happen, the way it did, it was a very surreal feeling. It was awesome to have family and friends there. For the game to be in LA, it was perfect because I have a lot of Southern California ties and a lot of people were able to make the game, so it was super special.    

When they called your name to go check in, how fast was your heart racing?    

I think getting to watch the first quarter, not getting thrown into the fire right away was helpful, just kind of being able to see it up close, pick up on certain things. Once the coach told me to get in, I was ready to go play. I was starting to get anxious. I can't just keep sitting here watching this, I need to get out there and play. When he did call my number, I definitely had some nerves. I mean, I think anyone would have some nerves in that situation. So, I just tried to trust my instincts. Once that first shot went in, the nerves kind of settled.

How do you process seeing future Hall of Famer LeBron James on the court opposite you?

I don't even know. It was crazy, LeBron James. On the same court as me. In an NBA game. I didn't even fully process it until after the game. All my friends are sending me pictures of LeBron guarding me, but to play against him, share the court with him, you're able to see how special of a player, he is. He's 41 and he was controlling the whole game out there and still moving great. It was definitely a really special moment for me to share the court with the person who — in my opinion —is the greatest player to ever play basketball. I'm very grateful for that.    

Looking at the season you had with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G-League, what was that experience like traveling across the country and playing pro ball here in the United States?    

That was a great experience. I felt like I was able to grow a lot as a player. They did a really good job of player development. It allows you to build confidence and get more comfortable. It was a really important year for me to kind of find who I am, first year out of college, first year playing professional. It was a very valuable year and I enjoyed my time in Maine, even though I'm a Southern California kid — it's a lot colder than it is in San Diego!

Were you able to follow UC San Diego concurrently, maybe while you were on a bus or in a hotel? 

I watched them, definitely followed them. I have a group chat that we keep active, and we talk about UC San Diego a good amount.