If age is just a number, then Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield would like to correct his.
Previously listed as 25 years old, Hield told reporters at NBC Sports Bay Area this week that he’s actually 26 years old.
The error was discovered when Hield told Doug Christie during a pregame broadcast that he had recently turned 26 years old. That sent folks looking for his recorded birthday, which was supposed to be Dec. 17, 1993.
After the game Hield was asked about the discrepancy by James Ham, and the NBA star said it must have been inaccurately reported somewhere along the way to the public. Internally, Hield says the Kings know how old he is and that all his documentation (Hield is Bahamanian) shows his birthday as Dec. 17, 1992.
Via NBC Sports Bay Area:That’s their fault, not my fault,” Hield said when asked why everywhere, including the NBA’s website, has him listed as 25. “The first time I saw it on Wikipedia, my mom said, ‘Why do they have your age wrong?’ I said, ‘I have no idea.’ ”
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“My passport has 1992 on it. My driver’s license has 1992 on it. I just think people got their information from Wikipedia or wherever, and they just went with it. They just got it wrong.”
Hield said he believes the University of Oklahoma, where he played college basketball, had his age correct and that, somewhere along the way, a mistake was made in inputting his age into the NBA’s system. Hield’s age and birthdate aren’t listed in the Oklahoma men’s basketball media guide for the guard’s senior season, so it’s unclear where an error was made or by whom.
“I gave them [the Kings] my passport, Peja [Stojakovic] and Vlade [Divac] know what age I am,” Hield said. “That’s the only thing that matters.”
It’s not clear what impact the revelation of Hield’s age could have on his career or his next contract just yet. If the Kings know his real birthday and there’s proper documentation, there’s no kind of potential legal issues that could void his contract or cause issue with the league office, which would be Hield’s biggest concern.
Hield’s age story is just another oddity of today’s NBA I suppose. I’m just glad he’s able to legally rent a car now. Happy Birthday, Buddy.