The Los Angeles Lakers might’ve gotten a steal in free agency when they signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year contract.
Vincent is coming off a successful NBA Finals run with the Miami Heat and now joins the Lakers where he’ll be asked to reprise a similar role. In just his short time in Los Angeles, Vincent has already won fans over with his attitude and admitted that he’s looking forward to playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The guard is no stranger to California as he grew up there and went to college in the state. In an appearance on ‘The Old Man & the Three’, Vincent expressed how excited he is to be coming home:
“I mean the first thing was that I gotta just say no to tickets for everybody cause that’s gonna be a problem all up and down Cali. That was the first thing. We’ll have to get my parents some season tickets or something and it’s just got to be no across the board cause that can easily get out of hand as I’m sure you know JJ. But I mean it’s awesome. At the end of the day, I’m coming back home to the West Coast. My family overall will be able to come to more games, that’s exciting.
“A storied franchise, at the end of the day you grow up in California you know about the Lakers. If you know about the NBA, you know about the Lakers so that’s exciting. I went to school two hours away in Santa Barbara, so I’m very familiar with the area. It’s not like I’m moving somewhere I’ve never been before or I gotta deal with snow. I’ve never dealt with snow before, so the transition I think will be a little bit easier lifestyle-wise and the opportunities on the court are immense so I’m looking forward to it.”
As far as as his place on the Lakers, Vincent explained that he believes his versatility will be his calling card:
“I’ve played almost every role I feel like in Miami. I’ve been in the corner, I’ve picked up a guy Trae Young for 94 feet and just played defense for a full game. Guys have sat out I’ve been asked to go produce offensively, so I’ve worn a number of hats and I think for me that just showed I could play with anybody. Whether it’s Jimmy, whether it’s we got Tyler who plays a different style, you got Bam we’re gonna feature this game, and go down the line of guys I’ve been around.
“Other guards whether it’s Goran or Kyle or Tyler, I’ve played a number of styles I feel like so transition-wise, role-wise, it’s gonna be very similar, I think, in terms of fitting into whatever this team needs to win and I think just trying to make winning plays. Whether it’s being more defensive-minded this game, or it’s handling more in the pick-and-roll. We’re gonna put Bron off the ball, or Bron’s on the ball wants to take over and I need to make an open shot when he does find me wherever I may be or I space the floor. So I think I just bring a little bit of versatility that is moldable to different situations.”
On the Heat, Vincent filled in wherever he could and thrived in various situations. For Darvin Ham, Vincent will likely be asked to do the same things given his skillset as a secondary guard who can either shoot or playmake for others.
The Lakers showed how versatile they could be in the playoffs, and Vincent figures to be a big part in their plans for next season.
Gabe Vincent puts Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in all-time top-5 list
As a California-native, Vincent has seen some of the greatest players come through in L.A. As such, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see him name Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James in his all-time top-five.
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