The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Ahead of their historic matchup, Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton placed the first NBA regular season meeting between the two into perspective, hoping to serve as motivation for the development of Bahamian basketball.

Ayton’s Suns will host Hield and the Kings tonight at 9pm local time at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

Following shootaround, both players cited the impact their exposure at the highest level of the sport can have on a younger generation of aspiring Bahamian athletes.

“Its good as motivation, to give kids back home hope and lets them know that dreams do come true,” Hield said, “Once you put your faith in God and trust him, anything is possible.”

Hield was drafted No.6 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft and Ayton was the No.1 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. They became the first Bahamians drafted in the NBA lottery (top 12 selections), since Mychal Thompson in 1977.

“It shows them anybody can make it. Buddy and I, when we were younger, we were the kids in the camp saying we wanted to be NBA players as well and we wanted to be just like the NBA players visiting the camp," he said, "Hard work pays off and kids have to know its not easy playing at the top level, it’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of sacrifices so they just have to be prepared for that.

Fellow national basketball team player Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr, is currently a member of the Suns front office with a role in player development this season, giving him an opportunity to work alongside Ayton.

“I think it means a lot seeing two guys who basically came from nothing, worked hard their whole life to get to where they are at,” he said, “For a lot of kids back home to see no matter where you came from if you work hard, be respectful, take care of business you can do what you want to do.”

Nairn was also former high school of Hield at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas before he spent four years at Michigan State.

“I want to see [Buddy] do well but not too well because I need us to get this win,” he said, but however it goes for him, he’s still family.

The Suns (4-19) enter the game with four consecutive losses and will be without leading scorers Devin Booker (23.5 ppg) and TJ Warren (17.7 ppg).

Ayton ranks third on the team in scoring at 16.2 points and is the leading rebounder at 10.2 boards per game.

With Booker and Warren sidelined, he expects to step up and attempt to fill the void as the team looks to end their losing streak at home.

“It’s more on my plate with them out, I know that, but this is a team game. I’m a player that goes into rhythm and scores on effort plays. I don’t just go out there and start to hunt shots because that’s not my personality," he said, “Me protecting the rim and rebounding its as much as I can give to control what I can control, but the rest of my teammates got it.”

The Kings (11-11) have been one of the surprises in the league thus far, something Hield credits to the team playing at a quicker pace.

“The results have been good, we are trying to get above .500 and we need this win to start that streak going, show teams in the NBA that we’re for real, take it one game at a time to build separation. Staying below .500 it doesn’t prove anything so we need to improve our record and It starts with this road trip,” Hield said.

The second year guard is averaging 18.4 points on 47 percent shooting from the field with 5.5 rebounds per game. All career highs.

“I try to maintain aggression headed into every game and taking advantage of the opportunities I have. Just trying to play effectively and shoot efficient shots. Everyone is playing together, getting after it creating turnovers and shooting threes, just playing to our strengths. I want to take efficient shots, just to go out there and help the team,” he said, “I’ve always been a guy to rebound the well, I’m getting more time on the court, more results come. So I’m just trying to be as efficient as I can on the court in every aspect of the game and with more time more results come.”