The Los Angeles Lakers made an under the radar move by signing former Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who had an impressive postseason run. Vincent signed a three-year, $33 million with the Lakers and will fill the void left by now Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schröder.
Vincent is going to provide 3-point shooting and tenacious on-ball defense, which was what Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham were looking for. With Vincent’s playoff experience, it’ll aid LeBron James in making a push to win another championship by signing players who are experienced and know what it takes.
The four-year guard is now heading home to California and gets to play alongside James, who he had recently named in his top-five players of all time alongside Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell, via Lakers Daily:
Gabe Vincent's top 5 players of all time (in no particular order):
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell pic.twitter.com/bcglJlnDAd— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) July 11, 2023
Vincent was a little apprehensive about putting Russell in his top five due to his Boston Celtic ties, but he acknowledged that Russell was a ‘problem’ during his playing days. Abdul-Jabar is viewed as one of, if not the best center in league history, as well as the NBA’s leading scorer for years on end until James broke that record this past season.
Vincent now gets to join alongside one of his greatest players of all time in James and potentially be a part of his legacy by adding another ring to his resume, which could separate himself from Jordan or make it more of a conversation depending on where you stand.
Lastly, naming the beloved Bryant, who spent 20 years with the Lakers franchise and helped bring five championships to Los Angeles, seemed to be a no-brainer for Vincent. Bryant was a player who has provided endless highlights and memories throughout his career as well as stories about his tenacious approach to the game of basketball and his highly regarded ‘Mamba Mentality’.
Gabe Vincent looking forward to playing with LeBron James & Anthony Davis
After joining the Lakers, Vincent acknowledged that he will be playing alongside two great players in James and Anthony Davis and is looking forward to helping the team however he can. He mentions having to wear ‘multiple hats’ during his time with the Heat, giving the Lakers the ability to utilize Vincent in different ways throughout the season.
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