Buddy Hield on the Pressure to Replace Klay Thompson

Buddy Hield will be the second best shooter on his new NBA team, the Warriors, for the first time he can remember.

But he’s more than happy to be second fiddle to the league’s best-ever shooter, Steph Curry.

“Steph. He’s the one. I’ve been watching all my life,” Hield told reporters Thursday morning during his introductory press conference.

“I’m a sponge. Ready to learn. Ready to watch him and see how he goes about his shooting mechanics. The way he goes about how he works, his routine. I think it’ll be an interesting year for me. … I think it’s fun. I’m excited.”

The shooting guard was signed after the beloved Klay Thompson ended his 13-year run with Golden State to sign with Dallas.

So naturally, Hield was asked if he felt any pressure to replace the franchise legend.

“There’s no pressure,” Hield said. “Just come and do my job. What Klay has done for this organization has been tremendous. I love Klay a lot. I’ve watched him over the years. He’s special. The way he can get hot and the way he can just change the game and be the two-way player that he is, and the champion that he is.

“So, I don’t look at it as pressure. I think it’s fun just being in that role and seeing if I can get the same looks he gets.”

Warriors fans on social media are already dubbing Curry and Hield the “Splash Buddies” in lieu of the original “Splash Brothers,” Curry and Thompson and Hield doesn’t mind the nickname.