Splash Buddies! Sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it? With Dub Nation coining this term for the new pairing of Buddy Hield and Stephen Curry, you might as well get used to hearing this name going forward. Being an elite sharpshooter, Buddy has been deemed the perfect replacement for Klay Thompson in the Warriors’ pursuit of another title. But apart from their similar skills, there is one major connection that the two stars share. The Bahamas!

Yes, while Hield has spent the last eight years playing in the NBA, he was born and raised in the Bahamas back in 1992. To be more specific, he is from the northwest town of Freeport. Surely, many of you might wonder how his nationality connects to Klay because, unlike Buddy, the 4x champ was born in Los Angeles and has spent his entire life in the US. Klay also has deep ties with the Bahamas as his father’s side of the family comes from the beautiful islands.

Long before Mychal Thompson moved to the States to complete his education and pursue his basketball career, he spent his adolescent years in the Bahamas. Similarly, Buddy left his homeland 14 years ago, but he continues to give back to the Bahamian community, both on and off the court. Just five years ago, he kickstarted the ‘Buddy Hield Foundation,’ which aimed to help the victims of Hurricane Dorian and uplift underprivileged Bahamian youth. The foundation also conducts frequent basketball camps in the islands, helping create more opportunities for the community.

On the court, Hield has represented the Bahamas on multiple occasions and nearly helped them qualify for the Paris Olympics earlier this year. During the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Spain, Buddy led the team to the tournament final but failed to get past the home team and book a spot in the Olympics. And he blamed it on the controversial officiating throughout the game. “The refs, the refs, the refs. I hate calling of the refs. It’s like the foul calling is too, too much difference in foul calling.” Nevertheless, Hield has always given it his all to bring the Bahamas to the forefront in every way possible. Perhaps one day, Klay Thompson will join him in this pursuit.

Klay Thompson commends Buddy Hield for advancing Bahamas’ “basketball culture”

Klay Thompson was not a part of the Bahamas squad participating in the Olympics qualifier. However, he joined the team’s training camp ahead of the tournament. With his older brother as an assistant coach, Klay could one day team up with Buddy to represent the islands. That is if he gets approval from FIBA and USA Basketball. But as of now, he had nothing but praise for Buddy and the rest of the Bahamian team after witnessing their effort in Spain. “When my father came up and was playing in the league, the Bahamas didn’t have the infrastructure or it wasn’t as organized as it is now. Chris has done a great job along with Buddy and Eric and Deandre of really building a great basketball culture in the islands.”

Buddy Hield’s doesn’t feel burdened by being compared as Klay’s replacement. He embraces the responsibility with confidence. “There’s no pressure, I feel like. Just come and do my job. What Klay has done for this organization has been tremendous. I love Klay a lot. I’ve watched him over the years. He’s special. The way he can get hot and the way he can just change the game and be the two-way player that he is, and the champion that he is.” And Dub Nation cannot wait to see how Buddy fills in the beloved superstar’s shoes and leaves his mark on the franchise.