The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield addressed the media for the first time since the regular season finale and the outspoken Sacramento Kings guard sought to clarify.

In his pre-training camp media availability, Hield said he has no regrets on his contract demands last offseason, but also downplayed previous reports of any rift between himself and Kings head coach Luke Walton.

“I have no regrets,” Hield said. “There’s nothing to be worked on. I never had a problem with nobody here, so everything that was being heard, it wasn’t put out by me. I love everybody here in this franchise and this organisation, so I don’t regret nothing I said. I’m going to keep it 100.”

The Athletic first reported in October that Hield was not accepting calls from Walton during an offseason filled with trade rumours and speculation on the elite shooter’s future in Sacramento.

Walton did little to quell those rumours when he would not commit to Hield as a starter for the upcoming season and said spots would be earned in training camp.

“Everything in life, we all have to earn. You have to earn your job. There’s nothing free in this world.

“I came from the Bahamas to play in the NBA. That was my dream. I beat those odds, so I’m a fighter. I’m going to compete for whatever is supposed to be mine, and if it’s not mine, it won’t be. So this is fun for me. I just love competing.”

Despite coming off the bench for 28 games, Hield was second on the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game. He was removed from the starting lineup in favour of Bogdan Bogdanovic last January and continued to see inconsistent minutes for the duration of the season, culminating in season low minutes when the NBA resumed play at the “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. Bogdanovic signed with the Atlanta Hawks this offseason and most NBA pundits interpreted that as a sign the organisation would move forward with Hield as the team’s starting shooting guard.

“To be honest with you, I always love competing and it doesn’t matter. That’s not my job. I don’t control that. The head coach controls that. They brought me here to play basketball and win basketball games, so whatever they need me for, I’m going to do it and try to compete at the highest (level) I can.”

Hield enters the first year of his new four-year $86 million extension that could reach as much as $106 million.

“I’m here to play basketball, win games and that’s my main focus, you know, trying to turn things around,” Hield said. “That’s all I’ve been focused on, trying to win games, so everything will come with it that comes with it, but I’m just locked in on that.”

Hield was the team’s leading scorer in 2018-19, prior to Walton’s arrival in Sacramento, and its second leading scorer in 2019-20, but started just 44 of 72 games before he was relegated to a reserve role off the bench in favour of Bogdanovic.

Following the Kings’ regular season finale, Hield spoke with reporters on several topics, most noteworthy was his reply when asked whether he would be content to continue his role off the bench next season.

“Y’all know me, y’all know how I talk, y’all know how I feel with a lot of stuff, y’all can read me well, so I’ll let y’all answer that for yourselves,” Hield said.

Walton briefly addressed his relationship with the Grand Bahama native in his pre-training camp interview.

“I’m not going to get into in-house stuff of who I’ve talked to and this and that, but Buddy’s a very talented player,” he said. “I’ve always had a good relationship with him and we’re excited that he’s part of the group.”