Buddy Hield may not know where he’s going to be drafted. But the University of Oklahoma star is seeking advice from a great source — Kobe Bryant. The future Hall of Fame guard has been counseling the soon-to-be NBA rookie.
“He’s been a huge influence with the way he told me to approach the game,” Hield said, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “He said that, ‘On draft night it doesn’t matter where you go. When you get to the league just do your work and stay focused on what you are trying to do.’ He said to keep competing as long as I can, just be the best I can be and push for greatness.”
Bryant would certainly be a person to understand the uncertainty of draft night. He was selected 13th overall and went on to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. In general, Kobe’s 1996 NBA Draft offers great proof of his “it doesn’t matter where you go” theory.
Picks 7-12 that year were Lorenzen Wright, Kerry Kittles, Samaki Walker, Erick Dampier, Todd Fuller, Vitaly Potapenko. A few of those players had decent careers, but those six men combined for zero All-Star Games.
Four of the next five picks were Bryant, Peja Stojaković, Steve Nash, and Jermaine O’Neal. Those four all made at least three All-Star teams each and qualified for the game a combined 35 times. Many great players are of course drafted early, but stars can come from anywhere.
One would be hard pressed to find a team that couldn’t use a shooter like Hield. In his senior year with the Sooners, Hield averaged 25 points per game, shooting 50.1% from the field, 45.7% on threes and 88% from the free-throw line.