Buddy Hield always will have a soft spot in his heart for Sacramento, where his NBA career began to develop the Kings.
In an exclusive with the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson, the 31-year-old explained how he still is tied to the franchise.
“This is kind of where my career started and where I kind of made a name for myself,” Hield told Anderson. “I’ll never forget where it all started.”
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Hield was selected No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans before getting traded to the Kings in 2017. Hield started for Sacramento for five seasons before he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2022 along with Tyrese Haliburton as part of the Domantas Sabonis deal.
Despite this, the guard still admires Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and former general manager Vlade Divac.
“I’ll always love Sacramento,” Hield said. “Sacramento is kind of where my career started. I always thank Vlade and Vivek for reaching out and giving me an opportunity to come play for the city and this organization.”
During his six seasons with the team, Hield set a franchise record for made 3-pointers with 1,248 and became one of the go-to perimeter shooters in the league.
NBA
In 2022, Hield was caught in a hot-mic moment where he made an obscene comment about the city of Sacramento, leading to boos every time he’s stepped foot in the Golden 1 Center since. The 31-year-old insists that he was joking and that the comment didn’t reflect his true feelings.
“My comments are my comments,” Hield explained to Anderson “I can’t take them back, but when you have a mic open, friendly conversation with your friends, and a hot mic catches you, you can’t take that back. I’ve got to take that on the chin, but I love Sacramento. The fans are great. I think one of the best fan bases not only in America but in the whole basketball world.”
Now, a newly minted member of the Golden State Warriors, Hield is expected to fill the void left by Klay Thompson’s departure. The sharpshooter has made the most 3-pointers in the NBA over the past five seasons, more than even Steph Curry.
Still, Hield knows how important the Kings organization was to his development as an elite shotmaker, even if the fanbase never forgives him for his insensitive comments.