GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 29, 2025

Buddy Hield

Media Conference

Q. Buddy, how much of a difference is there having a year of experience in this system? How much more comfortable do you feel?

BUDDY HIELD: Great. That's a good question. Because I understand having a year under my belt, I understand the way Steve coach. I understand the execution, everything, how everything goes around around here. Just having a year, this gives you a little bit of breathing room because you know what to expect now.

First year, you still to the extent know what to expect but now you have an understanding what to expect. I'm just ready to go and I'm happy to are year two.

Q. We heard from everyone else about Jimmy's place in San Diego.

BUDDY HIELD: It's phenomenal.

Q. What are your impressions? Assuming you were at the camp.

BUDDY HIELD: No. I didn't get invited.

Q. What is Jimmy's presence with this team going into this camp? Obviously he has this get-together. Do you see him kind of emerging as someone who really has an influence of the way this is going to go, personality-wise?

BUDDY HIELD: First of all, Jimmy, what Jimmy did this past week was phenomenal. First of all, inviting people to your house is always like iffy but like it shows that he's so welcoming and him and his people around, it was all welcoming, and just him hosting the team at his house. Beautiful place. The team camaraderie was so great.

It shows his leadership. Bringing everybody together, it was great. I never experienced that in my ten years in the NBA. I was happy to be there. Just shows that everybody trusted him, especially guys like Steph and Dray. They was out there. It was fun to be around, and I had so much fun there with him and I appreciate it a lot.

You can tell that he's more serious about this year. He's in elite shape. His body looks great. He's just ready to show everybody.

Q. Along those same lines, how much did it mean for you to it have teammates Jimmy visit you in the Bahamas and spend time with you there?

BUDDY HIELD: Jimmy didn't visit me in the Bahamas. He lied to y'all.

No, it's been great. It's been great. It shows that he cares. And like I said, having vets like that around you, their leadership, I'm always considered the little brother in the group.

But the thing they do for me, I'm just happy to be around. I just learn from them and be a sponge each and every day. As we start this year together, just ready to be in a fight with them again.

Q. Those playoff performances you had, particularly thinking of Game 7 in Houston, does that do anything for you going into the season? You're a veteran but those are probably the biggest games of your NBA career.

BUDDY HIELD: Yeah, helped build your confidence. Of course. I'm not saying -- I'm saying this humbly, but this is probably the best summer I probably shot like, working out. Like you think, oh, you have a bad day shooting the ball. And like, I can't even have one bad day shooting the ball. And I felt so confident; I couldn't wait to get back to that moment. So focused and driven to taste the playoffs again. Because I know that if we had everybody healthy, we never know what the outcome would be, we'd like a chance with 30 there, you know.

Q. Jimmy said that the Emo Jimmy is your favorite. Why is that? And who would you say is the funniest person on the team after you?

BUDDY HIELD: After me? I just wish -- the reason why he's my favorite, I wish he'd really like stay like that, where that same hairstyle to the games and play in it. Just showed the real him. Really got a whole culture out there. He has a whole, what's it called, all the statutes of him in his house with Emo.

Yeah, I forgot to take a picture of it.

Q. Who is the funniest on the team?

BUDDY HIELD: I would say Jimmy is funny. Steph. Steph is surprisingly funny. Draymond always talking shit all the time. He's funny. The whole group is funny. It's always like great laughter, especially we get on the plane, that's when I miss the most, the times with those guys, and having great camaraderie with having a great time. But they all are funny.

Q. How has your relationship with Steph evolved since you first got here and what have you learned from him?

BUDDY HIELD: A lot of wisdom. He's a true professional. The way he carries himself on and off the court. He's one of those guys, the way he speaks and how I caries himself, you just watch him and look at him. You have to be a sponge because he does everything correctly. He's probably one of the best guys I've probably been around. Not talking about basketball guys, really. Just life in general.

Just learning and trying to be a sponge, and every time I'm going through something or thinking of something, I always go to him or Dray or Jimmy to talk about it. For some reason, they always have the correct answer. So it's been great.

Q. Do you plan to play all 82 again this year?

BUDDY HIELD: Yes, sir. That's why we play basketball, to play all 82 games. I prepare myself in the summer time and in the season. My motto is you can always play hurt. You just can't play injured. I pray to God I don't get injured, but if I'm banged up a little bit, I can pull through.

I just love playing basketball. If I was not playing basketball in the NBA, I would try and find every day to go out and play basketball with some friends.

Q. Now that you've been around Steph for a full year, how would you describe his conditioning renal men?

BUDDY HIELD: I see the other day, he was running up some hills, right, with weight. Insane. It shows why he's one of the best in the world. He takes care of his body and stuff like that that really motivates you to go even harder as a player. Because you see Steph doing stuff like that, and he doesn't have to do it. He's accomplished so much in his life and for this game, and he's not slowing down and he's not stopping. That shows his character and his drive in the game of basketball.

He takes the game very seriously. Played against him today, like, man, he still moves elite. He's in great shape, man, and that's hats off to him and his training staff that he has around him because they do a hell of a job keeping him ready.

Q. How would you compare your conditioning to Steph's conditioning?

BUDDY HIELD: You know what, I'm a little crazy, too. We're in a similar regime. I run the beach and I run the track once or twice a week, running sprints and trying to keep my body conditioned. It's up there for sure.