How many of you know or remember that “Buddy” isn’t really Hield’s first name? The Bahamian forward/guard was born Chavano Rainer Hield at Eight Mile Rock, one of Grand Bahama island’s oldest communities. But his mother, Jackie Swann, and her friend were quite shocked to see the uncanny resemblance from the popular Fox sitcom, Married…With Children‘s Bud Bundy to her son.

And since then, he’s been ‘Bud’. However, there was a drug dealer in the neighborhood who had the same name, and being a mother who wanted only good things for her son, did not think it right for Chavano to have the same name, added three letters and her youngest child became known to the world as Buddy Hield since then.

While his journey to the NBA was by no means easy, Buddy is now in one of the most coveted positions in the NBA. The Warriors brought Hield in to take the position of Klay Thompson. And while that in itself is a tall task, it is one that perhaps only Buddy Hield can pull off.

But, we’re not here to focus on the technical aspects. Instead, we’re turning our attention to the off-court side of things—the support system that keeps him going strong. Right now, that support comes from none other than his girlfriend, Remi Martinii, and their 6-year-old daughter, Rainer Cali Hield, who stand by him unconditionally as he continues to put his best foot forward.

The Bahamian beauty that broke the stereotypes and captured the heart of Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield isn’t just skilled at making shots on the court; he excels off it too. While the specifics of how or when Buddy met Remi remain unclear, it’s safe to say the two have been together for quite some time. Like Buddy, Martinii was born in the Bahamas and has been a trailblazer since her early years.

Discovered by a Bahamian photographer, Christine Demeritte, when she was in 10th grade, Martinii started modeling and kept at it. “Over the years I shot with her niece while she was in Paris studying. When she arrived back home she had noticed my pictures and reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in doing shoots with her,” Remi shared in a 2021 interview with CaribVoxx. 

For Martinii, it was a necessary boost of self-confidence and esteem, as she admitted to having struggled with insecurities growing up. While she did enjoy modeling, Remi Martinii made sure her studies were not affected. In fact, she graduated from the University of Westminister, London, with a law degree. However, she has yet to pursue a career in the same. When asked if there was a chance of doing so, she replied, “I may practice law later in my career. I mean it’s not something I have my heart set on right now. But you never know so I won’t say no.”

How a degree in law helped Martinii more than she thought

Yet, pursuing a law degree did help her in modeling and gain even more confidence. For one, signing contracts got a whole lot easier! “I will never make the mistake of signing a contract without thoroughly going through the terms,” Remi pointed out. While modeling is a glamorous job with a potential for worldwide recognition, along with the monetary benefits that come with it, it is just as easily risky if one is not careful. And one of the areas where things can go wrong is in contracts.

Furthermore, studying law meant “a lot of presentation and communication with your peers and professors.” Public speaking, as well as negotiation skills, are crucial to lawyers. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they can be helpful in a lot more areas of one’s life. And for Martinii, it meant a lot more. “I’ve never really liked speaking to large groups of people but during my course, it helped me gain more confidence,” she admitted during the conversation.

Remi and Buddy become Mom & Dad

Perhaps the turning point in her life came when she and Buddy decided to take the next step in their relationship—parenthood. Models are often discouraged from starting a family early due to concerns about pregnancy affecting their physical appearance. However, that didn’t deter her from embracing this important step when she and Hield felt ready.

The pair welcomed a beautiful baby girl and since then, Martinii has been focused on “family, my health, and fitness, and also working on my business.” According to her bio on IG, Remi has started a swimsuit line, RH2o Swim, particularly focusing on mom-and-daughter designs. The official IG page for the business started in 2019, but the first post was in 2023. Since then, several posts have featured stunning images of models, including Remi, displaying her designs.

The relationship between Martinii and her daughter is perhaps the cutest. “Since I have been blessed with my baby girl I’ve been working on becoming a better person. … Since Rainer, my relationship with God has definitely gotten stronger. Being a mom you just want to be the best role model for your kids. I have become a lot more motivated,” she revealed. The little girl has her own IG account, managed obviously by her parents.

Well, that’s about Buddy’s girlfriend and their daughter. But what about his mom and siblings?

Buddy Hield shares his mother’s inspiring advice: “We may not have a lot, but it’s enough”

After Chavano’s father divorced their mother, Jackie Swann moved her large family into her mother’s three-bedroom house. However, space was tight, as the house was already home to Jackie’s two sisters and their children. With four adults and a sizable group of children under one roof, you can imagine how cramped it must have been.

However, it never stopped Hield’s mother from being thankful, showing gratitude for the things they had, or even helping others in need in ways that she could. For one, Jackie worked three jobs to support her large family. It included cleaning houses, catering weddings, and even as a saleswoman. It seems this resourcefulness was something that Buddy absorbed from his mom.

“I loved the feeling of creating something out of nothing,” Hield wrote in The Players Tribune in 2016, referring to creating makeshift baskets to practice ball, because they didn’t have enough money to buy one. But it wasn’t simply limited to just that. “I don’t just mean the basketball hoop. I mean the freedom the hoop gave us. Freedom to play whenever we wanted. I could hear my momma’s voice, ‘We may not have a lot, but it’s enough.’,” he added.

Swann found a way to share from the “enough” they had. Hield recounts memories of his mother offering rides to those in need of them or even providing a meal for kids who didn’t have one, in a Bleacher Report article. The Hields are obviously way past cramped quarters and makeshift hoops. But the generosity Buddy learned from his mother is one he continues to this day through the Buddy Hield Foundation.

Through his non-profit organization, Buddy Hield is dedicated to developing youth through sports, hosting annual basketball camps in the Bahamas. Additionally, the foundation has provided school supplies, sanitation packages, and more to students and teachers in Grand Bahama. In partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Freeport, they have also donated Kindle tablets to Lewis Yard Primary School.

Buddy Hield’s rise from humble beginnings to NBA stardom is a testament to his mother’s enduring lessons of gratitude, generosity, and resilience. And as the 31-year-old continues to give back to his community, Hield shows that the spirit of “enough” can build futures, not just for him, but countless others.