Former New Orleans Pelicans guard Buddy Hield may be at the forefront of the next international dynasty, and it isn’t being formed in the United States. No, no, we’re talking about Hield’s current international team. We’re talking about the Bahamas men’s national basketball team.
As of right now, the Bahamas roster currently sports three prominent NBA players in Hield, Deandre Ayton, and Eric Gordon (his being eligible for the Bahamas is a whole ordeal in and of itself).
For non-USA international teams, having three NBA players is a pretty big deal. However, there is more to the story than that. According to reporting from NBA Insider, Marc Stein, Evan Mobley, Isaiah Mobley, and Naz Reid could play for the Bahamas next year to try and make it to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
That makes it six NBA-caliber players set to be on the team. That takes the Bahamas from being a pretty big deal to a really big deal. But wait, there is even more than that. It appears as though former NBA champion and all-time marksman Klay Thompson is contemplating joining the mix as well.
"“When that time comes, I will give it serious consideration just because of what The Bahamas meant to the Thompson family, especially my father,” Thompson said as he and Kevon Looney landed in the Philippines for the final stop of the ANTA World Tour.“He never had a chance to play for the national team because they just didn’t have the chance back in the ’70s or the ’80s,” Klay said of his father. “Now my brother [Mychel] is coaching with them which is also very cool. ”“But right now, I’m really focused on the [upcoming 2023-24 NBA] season. But when that time comes next summer, I’ll give it consideration.”"
Wow. If one of The Splash Brothers joins the mix, the Bahamas men’s basketball team goes from being a really big deal to being a serious contender to win it all.
As a reminder, Hield was drafted by the Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent the first 57 games of his career with the team before they traded him to the Sacramento Kings as part of the deal that landed them DeMarcus Cousins.