SAN FRANCISCO (USA) - Buddy Hield almost accomplished the mission.
He put the Bahamas national team on his back this summer and almost carried it to the Summer Games in France. Spain dashed Hield's Olympic dream with an 86-78 victory in the OQT Final on July 7.
Even so, fans in Valencia were left with the impression they had just seen one of the best players in international basketball.
Hield lit up the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia with an event best 19.8 points per game. He was second in assists at 5.8 apg and second in minutes at 34.3 mpg.
Three and a half months later and Buddy Hield is proving to be just as influential with his new NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.
Five games into the 2024-25 season and the pride and joy of Nassau is averaging 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He's also drilled 24 three-pointers in these five games - though that's nothing to be surprise about from Hield.
Though it's early, it looks like Steve Kerr and the Warriors did their homework by acquiring Hield in a six-team trade that led to the departure of "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson, the USA international who deserves as much credit as any player in the creation of the Warriors dynasty. Thompson moved on to Dallas, but Hield moved to Golden State.
Both could be smiling by season's end with a run to the NBA playoffs for the Warriors a strong possibility.
Hield was starting last season with Indiana but was sent to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. With Stephen Curry also a Warrior, there will no shortage of 3-balls going in for the team.
Hield had been one of the top shooters from long range in the NBA for years in both number of attempted, and makes. His career-high for a season was 288 in 2022-2023 with the Pacers.
Kerr will know that his team is never out of games this season, even if things do not go well early. On Tuesday, without the services of Curry and Canadian star Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors fell behind by 20 points yet a furious comeback, let by Hield, earned the team a 124-106 win.
Hield was at his best in money time, scoring 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.
After the final buzzer, Hield revealed that 2024 FIBA Hall of Fame inductee Reggie Miller had spurred him on during the game.
"He told me to shoot the blanking ball,” Hield said. "Sometimes you need someone like that to come to you, and I responded well."
If Hield was disappointed about not making it to the Olympics, he'll be able to take some joy from the knowledge that this season could be special with Golden State.
It felt that way when he walked to the bench on one occasion and gave Curry, who was watching in sweats, a high five.
With Curry, whose combined 20 of 32 shooting from deep and 60 points overall in wins over Serbia in the Olympic Semi-Final and France in the Gold Medal Game, Hield forms one of the most potent one-two punches in the NBA.
FIBA