Born in the Bahamas, there’s no doubt that home will always be the Caribbean for Buddy Hield. However, the shooting guard hasn’t been able to shake the smile on his face ever since he landed in California, as he considers San Francisco to be the destination he always wanted to be in, now that he’s a part of the Warriors.
Ever since he was drafted in 2016, the 31-year-old has lived in multiple places throughout the United States. He first started out for a short stint in New Orleans, then five-long years in Sacramento, two more in Indiana, only three months in Philly, and now in Golden State, where he’s felt most at home during his nine years in the league.
A big reason for this is Chris DeMarco, who isn’t just the assistant coach for the Warriors, but is also the head tactician of the Bahamas men’s national basketball team. Even though he represents authority in the organization, Buddy considers him a “big brother,” who “made my decision easy coming here,” he said recently.
The Bahamas will always be home to Buddy Hield, a place he holds everywhere with him in his heart
Playing for the Warriors, though, Buddy Hield finally feels at home again https://t.co/GPyoA0YA2y
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) December 10, 2024
Another big reason is Steve Kerr. Before him, Hield trained for some of the most highly-respected tacticians in the game like Alvin Gentry, Dave Joerger, Luke Walton, Rick Carlisle and Nick Nurse. Nevertheless, the veteran guard says none of them compare to his current coach.
“That’s what separates him,” Buddy assured. “He understands how to relay that message in front of the team. It’s hard, but we’re going to figure it out together and he wants to see everyone be successful on and off the basketball court, and that’s what makes him a great coach.”
But now we must address the most important reason of all, which is how Golden State play ball. The Bahamian star loves to shoot next to the players who revolutionized modern basketball. “I’ve watched the Warriors play so much, they’ve always been on TV,” Hield said.
“Over the years I fell in love with watching Steph and Draymond and Klay [Thompson] and just the way they play basketball,” he said. “It’s random and they just figure it out. Steph, I always tell everybody this – I say, ‘If Steph didn’t shoot the ball so well, I probably wouldn’t have been able to be drafted that high.’
Hield credits teammate Curry for being drafted so high in 2016, as he’s also been part of the three-point revolution in the NBA
According to the 31-year-old, he owes much of his career so far to Stephen Curry. If it wasn’t for the way the Warriors icon plays the game and revolutionized the sport, he would’ve not been drafted so high up back in 2016 by the Pelicans.
“He’s the reason I got drafted so high, because the NBA has fallen in love with the 3-ball. It was perfect timing and I was able to get drafted sixth,” Buddy assured in a recent interview. Nowadays, even Hield is considered one of the many faces of this three-point reign.
Hield also praised the intense presence of Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green in the locker room, who have won four NBA titles together. “This is a blessing to be in this organization,” he shared about the team’s dynamic. “They play so free. And Steve is just so humble and even-keeled.”
“He never gets too high, he never gets too low, he just knows all the right things to say and he understands that player-coach concept and can relay his message directly to players in a good manner,” Buddy said. “I’ve been around a bunch of coaches and I’ve never seen a coach deliver a message the way Steve delivers his message, and it’s always positive.”
