Buddy Hield enjoyed every bit of his first NBA season with the Warriors.
There were high-highs and low-lows, but Hield cherished his 2024-25 campaign with Golden State, despite it ending in heartbreak with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday at Target Center.
The veteran guard spoke to reporters Thursday at his end-of-season press conference, where he was asked how he viewed his first year with the Warriors.
"This is the happiest I've ever been playing basketball, and I tell the guys 'This season went by so fast' because of how much fun I had, there was a lot of joy being around Steve [Kerr] and his group, being around the players, the training staff," Hield said. "They all made me feel welcome.
"And I feel like it went by so fast, and most teams I've been on it feels like it's very long, like 'When am I getting out of here?' This organization, I never felt one day I was like, 'I can't wait for summer.' I'm like really mad I have to go enjoy summer because basketball was so fun."
Hield came to the Warriors last offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal that landed franchise icon Klay Thompson with the Dallas Mavericks.
He started off the season red-hot, but struggled throughout the middle part of the campaign. In 82 regular-season games (11 starts), Hield averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 41.7-percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.
In Golden State's 12 playoff games this season, including a historic 33-point performance in Game 7 of the Warriors' first-round series against the Houston Rockets, Hield averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 41.6-percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from distance.
"Meaningful basketball was so fun," Hield added. "Preparing every day for the playoff game was fun. And I really enjoyed being here, man."
Hield signed a four-year, $37.7 million contract with Philadelphia last offseason and is under contract for three more seasons. Barring a trade this summer, it appears his fun with Golden State could continue.
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