Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield is changing his uniform number this coming season. For the entirety of his NBA career, he has worn 24 on his back and his chest, over time with the Pelicans, Kings, and now Pacers. But he will be reverting to the single-digit option that he used in his college days, and will be wearing #7 for the coming year and foreseeable future.
NBA: O’Neal Not Happy With Hield Taking His Old Number
Pacers Great Jermaine O’Neal Disappointed Indiana Letting Buddy Hield Wear #7 https://t.co/sZadMgAQDo
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) September 14, 2023
One former Indiana Pacers player is not happy with the news.
Jermaine O’Neal spent 8 seasons playing for the franchise, the best years of his career. He was an All-Star in six of them, and scored enough points to place himself as the 5th-leading scorer in Pacers’ history. He is their all-time leader in blocks, and pulled down the 6th most rebounds.
Yet the team has never honored him, and he feels as though he has been slighted due to that fact. So when he heard that Hield was switching to the uniform number that he used to wear in his prime days, it reminded O’Neal of the lack of appreciation shown by the franchise, and he took the opportunity to put out a statement:
I love Buddy and the work that he puts in. My statement has nothing to do with him. It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise’s very best players on and off the court but yet Pacers don’t. It’s been confusing and disappointing to say the least!
Hield Will Look To Keep Up Better Shooting Numbers
24 → 7
Buddy Hield is changing his number. pic.twitter.com/3FZtHubBEu
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) September 14, 2023
Indiana enjoyed some of the more successful days in its franchise’s history when Jermaine O’Neal was on the roster. They finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2003-04, when O’Neal averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Buddy Hield had a bounce back year, percentage-wise, in 2022. His efficiency from 3-point range had been on a steady decline since he shot 43% back in 2017-18, but he was able to get that number back to 42.5 a season ago after dipping all the way down to 36.2.
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