Buddy Hield on being part of Golden State Warriors: 'Happiest I've ever been playing basketball'
Image credit: Getty Images
Buddy Hield
is a happy man, soaking in every moment of his first
NBA season
with the
Golden State Warriors
. The team lost to Minnesota Timberwolves 121-110 but his energy and dedication have been commendable. While the season had its share of highs and lows, Hield continued to push his game forward — and he did it with a big smile.
Buddy Hield is happy to play for Golden State Warriors
Buddy Hield joined the
Golden State
Warriors last offseason in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal that sent franchise legend Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks. The move brought the veteran guard from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Bay Area.
On Thursday, Hield spoke to reporters during the team's end-of-season press conference, reflecting on his debut year with Golden State. "This is the happiest I've ever been playing basketball, and I tell the guys 'This season went by so fast' because of how much fun I had, there was a lot of joy being around Steve [Kerr] and his group, being around the players, the training staff," Hield said as per NBCSportsBayArea.com.
"They all made me feel welcome. And I feel like it went by so fast, and most teams I've been on, it feels like it's very long, like 'When am I getting out of here?' This organization, I never felt one day I was like, 'I can't wait for summer.' I'm like really mad I have to go enjoy summer because basketball was so fun," he added.
Hield made a strong start to the season but experienced a dip in form during the middle stretch. In 82 regular-season games (11 starts), he averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc.
He stepped up in the playoffs, appearing in all 12 of Golden State's postseason games and averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 41.6 percent shooting from the field and an impressive 42.9 percent from three-point range.
"Meaningful basketball was so fun. Preparing every day for the playoff game was fun. And I really enjoyed being here, man," Hield said.
Also Read:
'They only had to win one': Fans react after Golden State Warriors' Playoff exit as Stephen Curry says everything was aligned for Game 6
Julius Randle scored 29 points on an efficient 13-of-18 shooting night to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 on Wednesday, securing their second consecutive trip to the
Western Conference Finals
. Anthony Edwards added 22 points and dished out 12 assists for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, who now await the winner of the Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder series.
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