LM Otero/Associated Press

Buddy Hield Reveals He's 26 Years Old, Not 25 as Previously Listed

Joseph Zucker

When Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield celebrated his birthday Monday, little did the people know he'd aged two years instead of one.

According to NBC Sports California's James Ham, Hield revealed Thursday he's 26 years old, not 25, the latter of which is his listed age on the NBA's official site.

"That's their fault, not my fault," Hield said of the mistake. "The first time I saw it on Wikipedia, my mom said, 'Why do they have your age wrong?' I said, 'I have no idea.'"

A native of the Bahamas, Hield said his passport lists 1992 as his birth year, as does his driver's license. He thought the mistake might have occurred because somebody might have taken the incorrect year off Wikipedia and "just went with it."

Hield added that Kings general manager Vlade Divac and assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic were aware he was born in 1992 and turned 26 this year. Divac confirmed to Ham that that was the case.

Coincidentally, age was a concern around Hield when he was entering the NBA in 2016. A four-year player at Oklahoma, he was thought to be 22 coming out of Oklahoma, which is relatively old for a rookie. In truth, he was actually 23.

Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Street Shots wondered if that new information would've impacted the thought process of the Pelicans, who selected Hield sixth overall:

More pertinent to Hield, he'll be 27 when he can hit restricted free agency after the 2019-20 season. For a frame of reference, Anthony Davis is eligible to hit free agency in 2020 when he's 27, and he'll have earned $98.4 million from his designated rookie extension with the Pelicans.

It's not a stretch to think Hield's age discrepancy could cost him millions of dollars because it won't be too long before he's on the wrong end of the aging curve.

Hield is enjoying the best season of his NBA career. He's averaging 19.9 points and shooting 43.3 percent from three-point range, and he is one reason for Sacramento's surprising 16-15 start.

However, this news might overshadow much of what he has done on the court.

   

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