Buddy Hield to continue promoting Bahamas during NBA career

Tourism Minister congratulates Hield on New Orleans Pelicans pick

The spotlight was on The Bahamas before millions of professional basketball fans once again when Bahamian basketball standout Chavano “Buddy” Hield was drafted by NBA team New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. Hield was the sixth draft pick in the first round.

The 22-year-old shooting guard, who played for Oklahoma University, went on to become one the most popular players in American college basketball.

Hield recently won the 2016 Naismith Trophy as the nation's top college basketball player.

Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe lauded Hield’s accomplishments.

“Hield was a little boy from Grand Bahama with a dream and look at him now,” Wichcombe said. “He was the sixth draft pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He will go on to be an NBA player.  What an awesome story.

“The country is proud of him. Buddy followed his dream and it paid off. What I also love about his story is that he never forgot his roots. This is a proud day for The Bahamas.” 

Hield was described by basketball analysts as an “excellent” player.

The 6’4” Grand Bahama native said he’s had his eye on the NBA for a long time.

“I’m so ready,” he said during an interview with NBA TV.

“I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life. I’m blessed to be here. This is a night I can’t forget.”

As Minister Wilchcombe foreshadowed, during Hield’s rise to stardom, he became an official tourism ambassador, proudly proclaiming his birthplace during interviews. He also frequently mentioned The Bahamas on his social media pages.

Many college basketball fans admitted that they did not know much about The Islands of The Bahamas before “Buddy” gained international recognition.

For the draft, he wore a white jacket with the Bahamian flag sewn on the inside with the words “Buddy Buckets”.

He was recognized as one of the best dressed draft picks by USA Today.

And in true Bahamian form, when asked what he would purchase first, Hield said, “I’m going to put money in church and buy my mom a house.”

On Thursday night, Hield was also named the Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year. The award recognizes student-athletes who displayed an extraordinary degree of sportsmanship, community service and academic achievements.