Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield
Born	Chavano Rainer Hield; December 17, 1992 (age 33); Eight Mile Rock, West Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2012–present
Known for	NBA player, Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year (2015, 2016)

Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield (born December 17, 1992) is a professional basketball player from the Bahamas currently signed with the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his collegiate career, he competed for the Oklahoma Sooners and was honored as the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.

In 2016, Hield secured four prominent national player of the year accolades: the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Sporting News Player of the Year, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. He was drafted sixth overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. In 2022, Hield was involved in a trade to the Indiana Pacers as part of a deal for Domantas Sabonis. He later joined the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2024 and was subsequently traded to the Golden State Warriors in a multi-team transaction during July 2024.

Early life

Hield was raised in Eight Mile Rock, situated west of Freeport within the West Grand Bahama area of the Bahamas. He is one of seven siblings, being the fifth child born to his mother, Jackie Braynen. His moniker, "Buddy," originated from his mother’s reference to Bud Bundy, a character on the television show Married... with Children.

He attended Jack Hayward High School located in Freeport, where he first gained attention from The All Bahamian Brand, a local basketball publication that ranked him as the top eighth grader nationwide. Demonstrating early leadership qualities, Hield guided Jack Hayward to victory at the Providence Holiday Tournament with a last-second shot and led them to claim the Grand Bahamas High School Championships. These accomplishments earned him an All Bahamian Brand All Bahamian Selection.

After excelling locally, Hield was recruited by Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, a prep school near Wichita, Kansas, known for its basketball program. Kyle Lindsted, former Wichita State assistant coach and Sunrise’s head coach, brought in the 6-foot-4 guard. In his junior year (2011), Hield propelled Sunrise Christian to win the National Association of Christian Athletes national title and received tournament MVP honors. As a senior during the 2011–12 season, he posted averages of 22.7 points per game on .491 shooting over approximately 21 minutes per contest.

Despite interest from multiple programs including offers from both Oklahoma and Kansas, Hield ultimately committed to play for the Oklahoma Sooners, influenced by a campus visit following coach Lon Kruger’s hiring aimed at revitalizing their basketball program.

College career

During his freshman season at Oklahoma, Hield averaged 7.8 points per game and was recognized with the team’s Most Inspirational Award. His sophomore campaign saw him earn second-team All-Big 12 honors while averaging 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per outing. Prior to his junior year, Hield enhanced his defensive skills and developed into a prolific three-point shooter.

In that junior season, he averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 41%, leading Oklahoma to a 24–11 record and advancing to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. Though eligible for the NBA draft after this year, he chose to return for his senior season where he earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition along with being named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.

Hield was included on preseason watchlists for both the Oscar Robertson Award and Naismith College Player of the Year. On January 4, 2016, he posted a career-high scoring total of 46 points during a triple-overtime loss against Kansas, tying an opponent scoring record at Allen Fieldhouse. By February, he had been named to the Naismith Trophy’s midseason list comprising 35 candidates.

Concluding his senior year, Hield received the distinguished John R. Wooden Award as college basketball’s top player for the 2015–16 season after averaging 25 points, 5.7 rebounds, and two assists per game while leading all players nationally in three-point field goals made.

2016–17 season: All-Rookie Recognition & Midseason Trade

Hield was chosen sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2016 NBA draft on June 23, 2016. He officially joined the Pelicans roster on July 22. On December 15, he contributed 21 points, including five three-pointers, leading to a 102–95 victory over the Indiana Pacers. His strong performance in December earned him the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award on January 3, 2017.

Sacramento Kings (2017–2022)

On February 20, 2017, Hield was traded to the Sacramento Kings alongside Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and draft selections in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi. Making his debut three days later, he scored 16 points coming off the bench in a 116–100 win against the Denver Nuggets. Hield secured the Western Conference Rookie of the Month accolade again for March. On April 11, he achieved a personal best by scoring 30 points during a 129–104 victory over the Phoenix Suns. He concluded the season by earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

2017–18 season: Career-High Three-Point Efficiency

Beginning the 2017–18 campaign as a starter, Hield transitioned to a sixth man role after seven games. On November 25, 2017, he posted a season-high 27 points off the bench, including a career-best seven three-pointers, though the team narrowly lost 97–95 to the Los Angeles Clippers. That season, Hield ranked ninth in the NBA with a three-point shooting percentage of 43.1 percent among qualified players.

2018–19 season: Career-High Scoring Average

During December 2018, Hield maintained a streak of seven consecutive games scoring at least 20 points. On January 5, 2019, he tallied 32 points with a career-high eight three-pointers in a close 127–123 defeat to the Warriors. Two weeks later, on January 19, he sealed a tight 103–101 win over the Detroit Pistons by sinking an off-balance fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer and finishing with 35 points. On March 23, Hield set a new franchise record for most three-pointers in a single season with 245, surpassing Peja Stojaković's previous mark of 240 from the 2003–04 Sacramento Kings season, during a 112–103 win against the Suns. In April, he surpassed Damian Lillard's NBA record for most three-pointers made within a player's first three seasons, totaling over 599.

2019–20 season: Contract Extension

Hield secured a four-year contract extension on October 21, 2019. Following being benched late during a double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 26, he openly expressed "trust issues" with coaches and teammates but issued an apology the next day. After losing his starting position to Bogdan Bogdanović, his performance and efficiency improved markedly; on January 27, 2020, in just his second appearance off the bench that season, Hield scored a career-high 42 points during an overtime victory over the Timberwolves, dedicating his effort to his late idol Kobe Bryant. On February 15, Hield triumphed in the Three-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend, narrowly edging out Devin Booker with a final score of 27–26.

2020–21 season: Quickest to 1,000 three-pointers in NBA history

On December 23, 2020, Hield contributed 22 points and secured the game-winning tip-in buzzer-beater during a 124–122 overtime triumph against the Denver Nuggets. By February 28, 2021, he set a new NBA record as the fastest player to reach 1,000 career three-pointers, accomplishing this feat in just 350 games—a mark later eclipsed by Duncan Robinson.

On July 29, 2021, it was reported that the Kings were engaged in trade talks to send Hield to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for forwards Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell. However, the transaction fell through after the Lakers traded Kuzma and Harrell to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook.

2021–22 season: Trade at mid-season

On February 8, 2022, Hield was traded to the Indiana Pacers along with Tyrese Haliburton and Tristan Thompson, in return for Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Domantas Sabonis, and a second-round draft pick for 2023. Hield made his Pacers debut three days later, nearly achieving a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists during a 120–113 defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On February 15, he tallied a season-best 36 points on an efficient 8-of-12 from beyond the arc in a 128–119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

2022–23 season: Setting franchise record for most threes in a single season

By December 5, Hield became the second-fastest player ever to accumulate 1,500 career three-pointers, trailing only Stephen Curry. On December 27, he matched his season-high with 28 points, hitting six of seven three-point attempts and grabbing nine rebounds in a 129–114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Two days later, Hield made history by scoring the quickest field goal since the 1996–97 season—a three-pointer just three seconds into a game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, breaking Hall of Famer Reggie Miller's record.

On January 11, 2023, Hield reached a new season-high of 31 points alongside eight rebounds during a loss to the New York Knicks. Then on February 15, he scored 27 points in a narrow 117–113 win over the Chicago Bulls, marking his 230th made three-pointer that season and surpassing Reggie Miller for the most triples in a single campaign in Pacers history. Both Hield and fellow All-Star teammate Tyrese Haliburton participated in the 2023 NBA Three-Point Contest, finishing as runners-up behind champion Damian Lillard.

2023–24 season: Contributing to Pacers' rise

Ahead of the 2023–24 campaign, Hield switched his jersey number from 24 to 7—a number previously donned by distinguished Pacers players such as Jermaine O'Neal and Malcolm Brogdon. Coming off the bench in back-to-back games, he posted 19 points against both the Charlotte Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs, with the latter game marking head coach Rick Carlisle's milestone 900th career victory.

Philadelphia 76ers (2024)

On February 8, 2024, Hield was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers, with the San Antonio Spurs also part of the deal. He made his debut for Philadelphia by scoring 20 points and dishing out six assists during a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Throughout the 2023–24 season, Hield led all players by appearing in all 84 games, averaging totals of 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest.

Golden State Warriors (2024–present)

On July 6, 2024, Hield was involved in the NBA's inaugural six-team trade, which included five other franchises, resulting in his move to the Golden State Warriors. He made his first appearance for the Warriors on October 23, contributing 22 points, five three-pointers, and five rebounds off the bench during a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Just two days afterwards, he tallied 27 points and connected on seven three-pointers in a win against the Utah Jazz, establishing a new NBA record for the highest number of three-pointers (12) made by a player within their first two games with a team.

Throughout the 2024–25 NBA season, Hield participated in all 82 games, posting averages of 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. On May 4, 2025, he delivered a standout performance with 33 points and nine three-pointers in a decisive Game 7 triumph over the Houston Rockets, equaling Donte DiVincenzo’s record for most three-pointers made in a playoff Game 7. Additionally, his six three-pointers recorded in the first half set an NBA playoff Game 7 half-time record.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"|New Orleans | style="background:#cfecec;"| 57* || 37 || 20.4 || .393 || .369 || .879 || 2.9 || 1.4 || .3 || .1 || 8.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | style="background:#cfecec;"| 25* || 18 || 29.1 || .480 || .428 || .814 || 4.1 || 1.8 || .8 || .1 || 15.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 80 || 13 || 25.3 || .446 || .431 || .877 || 3.8 || 1.9 || 1.1 || .3 || 13.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 31.9 || .458 || .427 || .886 || 5.0 || 2.5 || .7 || .4 || 20.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 72 || 44 || 30.8 || .429 || .394 || .846 || 4.6 || 3.0 || .9 || .2 || 19.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 71 || 71 || 34.3 || .406 || .391 || .846 || 4.7 || 3.6 || .9 || .4 || 16.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 55 || 6 || 28.6 || .382 || .368|| .870||4.0||1.9||.9||.3||14.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Indiana |26||26||35.6||.447||.362||.886||5.1||4.8||.9||.4||18.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Indiana |80||73||31.0||.458||.425||.822||5.0||2.8|||1.2||.3||16.8 |-

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |
| style="text-align:left;" |Indiana
| style="background:#cfecec;" | 52*||28||25.7||.443||.384||.848||3.2||2.7||0.8||.6||12.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia 
| style="background:#cfecec;" |32*||14||25.8||.426||.389|||0.923||3.2||3.0||0.8||0.3||12..2

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | 
| style="text-align:left;" |Golden State 
| style="background:#cfecec;" |82*||22||22..7||0..417||0..370|||0..828|||3..2|||1..6|||0..8|||0..3|||11..1

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan= "2" |Career 
|714|||436|||28..3|||0..433|||0..397|||0..858|||4..1|||2..5|||0..9|||0..3|||15..0

Playoffs

|-

|style= "text-align:left"| 2024 
|style= "text-align:left"| Philadelphia 
|4|||0|||12.7|||0.412|||0.462|||1.000|||1.3|||0.5|||0.0|||0.3|||5.5

|-

|style= "text-align:left"| 2025 
|style= "text-align:left"| Golden State 
|'12|||9|||27.3|||0.416|||0.429|||0.929|||3.5|||1.8|||1.2|||.4|||12.5

|- class= "sortbottom"

|style= "text-align:center" colspan= "2" |Career 
|16|||9|||23.6|||0.415|||0.433|||0.938|||2.9|||1.4|||0.9|||0.4|||10.8

|}

College

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|2012–13 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma | 27 || 13 || 25.1 || .388 || .238 || .833 || 4.2 || 1.9 || 1.2 || .3 || 7.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2013–14 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma | 33 || 33 || 32.1 || .445 || .386 || .750 || 4.4 || 1.9 || 1.4 || .2 || 16.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2014–15 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma | 35 || 35 || 32.4 || .412 || .359 || .823 || 5.4 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .2 || 17.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2015–16 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma | 37 || 37 || 35.4 || .501 || .457 || .880 || 5.7 || 2.0 || 1.1 || .5 || 25.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 132 || 118 || 31.7 || .448 || .390 || .836 || 5.0 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .3 || 17.4

National team career

At the 2014 Centrobasket held in Tepic, Mexico, Hield played for the Bahamas national basketball team, where he led all participants by averaging 19.8 points and topped his team with 6 rebounds per game, coached by Larry Eustachy.

Personal life

Hield became a father in 2017 with the birth of his daughter.

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian, he contributed $105,000 toward relief initiatives and initiated a GoFundMe to raise an extra $1 million to support families impacted in the Bahamas.

External links

Oklahoma Sooners bio