Buddy Hield can be heard cracking jokes and making fun of Stephen Curry in the locker room, or having fun at practice and on the team plane, making everyone laugh.
Since joining the Golden State Warriors last summer, Hield has also shown a strong commitment to his training, something that has impressed Curry.
“He probably puts more hours in the gym than I think I’ve ever seen anybody,” Curry said.
Curry, a two-time NBA MVP, enjoys Hield’s high-energy personality, team-first attitude, and his passion for the game.
Hailing from Freeport in the Bahamas, Hield is proud to represent his home country on the NBA stage.
“It’s special,” Hield said. “It’s not by chance. I’ve put the work in, for sure. I’m just blessed and honored to be in this position.”
Hield is currently averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting nearly 43% from the field with the Warriors, but he also impacts the team in ways that go beyond just numbers.
When Hield enters a room with the Warriors, his smile and positive energy immediately lift the spirits of his teammates. His joyful and focused attitude is exactly what coach Steve Kerr has always valued in the Warriors.
“There is nothing even-keel about him, he is all extreme happy, joy, talking all the time, and you love that energy because he loves the game,” Curry said. “… He does bring joy to the locker room, to the plane.
No matter where we’re at, you’re going to hear him and he lifts everybody up because he’s got a great sense of humor and he’s been around the block. The funniest part is you just can’t get him to shut up. So you appreciate everything he brings.”
His teammates have a few nicknames for him: Buddy Love, Buddy Fresh, and Buddy Buckets — names that have stuck with him since he was born, as his full first name is Chavano.
Hield became the 17th player in NBA history to make 2,000 three-pointers, and he energizes the Warriors’ offense with the way he runs the court.
“I’ve just got to keep moving and hopefully I’m able to catch some of the greats,” Hield said. “I probably won’t be able to catch Steph, but I hope to catch some of the greats and hopefully I can crack top-10, maybe top-five.”
That’s just fine with Kerr.
“We’re at our best when we’re playing fast and with a lot of pace, and that’s what Buddy does really well,” Kerr said. “He runs the floor in transition probably better than anybody on our team.”
The Warriors (16-16) have been struggling recently, losing three of their last 10 games.
However, Hield hasn’t complained. He’s had an impressive journey — from shooting on a homemade hoop in the Bahamas with his brother Chevez to leading Oklahoma to a Final Four in college, and now in his ninth NBA season with his fifth team.
“Where I came from in the Bahamas, I couldn’t write a better script than this, just being down there, shooting on an outside court, building my own court right from a crate. To have 2,000 3s, I know the young kids back home and the people that helped me get to this point will really appreciate that.
“So I’m just blessed to be in this situation.” Hield joined Golden State after Klay Thompson moved to Dallas, something his fellow Bahamian, Thompson, calls “very special.”
“I’m just happy they replaced me with another Bahamian,” Thompson said.
Thompson understands the significance of Hield’s presence for the Bahamas and how much he has helped develop basketball in his homeland.
“Are you kidding me? He’s a legend, especially around Freeport. Buddy gives young men and women hope all over the nation,” Thompson said. “Especially his commitment to the national team, it’s amazing. It’s really cool.”
Hield’s shooting hasn’t been consistent, but the Warriors recognize all the other ways he contributes. Whether he’s hitting shots or missing them, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, his positive attitude remains unchanged.
“He lifts this team every day when he comes in smiling,” guard Gary Payton II said. “I know that smile travels all the way back to the Bahamas and those kids have the same smile when he’s on the court.
How he plays and what he does, it’s kind of like a Steph effect over there in the islands. They’re shouting Buddy. We know what he means to this team and what he means to the Bahamas.”
