The Nassau Guardian’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year
January 3, 2023 101 3 minute read
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Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield had a great year playing for the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers – especially the Pacers where he had some breakthrough performances and some milestones under his belt. He received 43 points out of a possible 45 for the Nassau Guardian’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year honor.
Hield and the Pacers closed off 2022 on a three-game winning streak and as winners of five of their last six games, and ended the year with a 20-17 win/loss record. In their last three games, prior to last night’s encounter against the Toronto Raptors, Hield scored 28, 25 and 18 points in 30 or more minutes on the floor each night. The Pacers are on path to advance to the playoffs this season, sitting in the sixth position in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) standings.
On the season, Hield is averaging 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31.7 minutes per game. His sharpshooting skills have been on full display this season as he leads the league in three-pointers made with 142 made three-pointers. He is making 3.8 three-pointers per game.
On Thursday, Hield landed in the NBA history book when he made the fastest three-pointer in league history, sinking a three-pointer three seconds into their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He broke a 22-year-old record that was held by Pacers’ legend Reggie Miller who accomplished the feat in four seconds.
The Grand Bahama native became the second-fastest player to reach 1,500 made three-pointers, accomplishing the feat when they took down the Golden State Warriors. Only Stephen Curry of the Warriors reached the milestone faster than the Bahamian. Hield did it in 492 games.
During the offseason this summer, the 30-year-old didn’t have to think twice before letting Bahamians know he would be suiting up for The Bahamas in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers. In the first round, Hield was instrumental in helping The Bahamas make history by advancing to the second round with an 97-80 win over the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hield played 38 minutes in that game and he finished with 24 points and made five three-pointers. In the four games he played for The Bahamas in the summer, he averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. was on his way to having a great season before he suffered a back injury in late June that eventually kept him out for the rest of the season. The Miami Marlins’ second baseman became the first Bahamian to be selected to the all-star game in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was the fifth time in Marlins history that the club had a player voted in to start the all-star game, but Chisholm didn’t play due to the injury.
Chisholm was having a phenomenal year for the Marlins, batting .254 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs (runs batted in) and 39 runs scored. At the time, he was among the league leaders among second basemen in a number of offensive categories and had been a pillar of stability defensively for the Marlins.
Chisholm also had 12 stolen bases. He finished with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .325 and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .860.
Defensively, Chisholm had 93 putouts and 123 assists in 220 total chances this past season. He had helped turn 21 double plays and had a fielding percentage of .982.
DeAndre Ayton’s 2021-2022 season was highlighted by contract negotiations and an abrupt end to the Phoenix Suns’ playoff run. In the summer, Ayton was a restricted free agent and he received a four-year $133 million offer from the Indiana Pacers. The Suns matched it a few days later.
Last season, Ayton helped the Suns reach the Western Conference semifinals. However, the Suns fell 4-3 to the Dallas Mavericks in the best-of-seven series.
Ayton averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season while shooting 63.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent on shots from deep. The Suns finished with a league best 64-18 win/loss record.
This season, the big man is averaging 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The Suns currently sport a 20-18 record, having lost their last three games. They sit in seventh position in the Western Conference of the NBA.
Long jumper LaQuan Nairn, who won a gold medal in the men’s long jump at the Commonwealth Games, was fourth in the voting for the Nassau Guardian’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year honor with 38 points and professional baseball player with the Washington Nationals Lucius Fox Jr., who became the eighth Bahamian to be called up to the majors, accomplishing the feat this season, finished fifth with 32 points.