Buddy Hield

“That's the first goal I have, to be Rookie of the Year.”

“Some of the life lessons that my mom has taught me is that the road is not for the fastest or the swiftest, but it's for those who enjoy it to the end. Just telling you that life is not pure grace. It's like a marathon.”

“I want to taste the Final Four.”

“You just got to enjoy every bit about it. You know, why not have fun while you're in college?”

“I just hate playing bad. I hate not playing the way I'm comfortable playing at. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”

“I can shoot the ball a lot. Love to shoot.”

“It's like, every game you never know how a defender is going to play you. You have to be mentally focused.”

“I'm a grinder. I've been grinding my whole life. Whatever task is in front of me, I'm going to try to accomplish it.”

“Everyone in New Orleans has been welcoming me as family. Everywhere I go, they always say, 'Put on for the city, baaay-bee.'”

“You think about the Bahamas, you think it's this island full of beaches and chilling on the beach, but there's a lot of freak athletes down there that can play, and a lot of guys better than me who I feel like didn't get an opportunity like me, but when I got my opportunity, I took full advantage of it.”

“I think the Caribbean has been overlooked because guys don't really have the resources to get out and guys are less fortunate to make it to the U.S. and get scholarships and for people to come down and see them.”

“Don't watch TV and think that the NBA game is easy.”

“When I was 12, 13 years old, I fell in love with the game. I saw Kobe Bryant play. I wanted to be a part of it.”

“College is so different from the NBA. You have three guys coming at you and trapping all over the place, and NBA is different. There's more space.”

“You have to compete with LeBron James and Steph Curry, those guys, night in and night out. You can't take a night off. You just have fun, be humble, but continue to work.”

“Most people can't say they put the ball in at a high rate each and every night. So that's my number one goal: putting the ball in, doing it a high rate, and doing it efficiently.”

“I'm broke. I play the game because I love it, but obviously you know you can make money off it.”

“Biggest motivator, I would probably say my mom, how she takes care of seven kids by herself and how she raised us. She always an inspiration to us.”

“Wherever I get it, I feel like if I'm open, I'm going to shoot it. Because my confidence is real high, and I feel if my defender's too tight, I can drive by him and try to get a bucket.”