The Los Angeles Lakers added Gabe Vincent to their roster in free agency, giving him a 3-year contract worth $33 million total. The guard went to the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat last season and will hope to go again with the Purple and Gold.
During a recent interview, he was asked about his Top 5 NBA players of all time. And Vincent’s answer was a good one, although he did leave out a player many consider to be the greatest Laker ever.
“You’re trying to get me in trouble, man. All-time Top 5, what Lakers, or just basketball?” Vincent said when asked the question. He then went on to give his list, adding, “Imma go Jordan, imma go Bron and Kob. All-time five.
“Imma go Kareem. You know, one of the names popping into my head was Bill Russell. But I was a little nervous to throw it out there because he’s a Celtic. I’m a little nervous but… it might be Bill.”
An all-time Top 5 of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell is pretty great. It’s hard to argue with that. But what some Lakers fans might take exception to is him not having Magic Johnson in there. Many think Magic is the greatest Laker of all time, and almost all Lakers fans have him in their Top 5, so this might not have been the best idea from the new Lakers recruit.
Gabe Vincent Already Knows How He Will Contribute For The Los Angeles Lakers
While his picks might get him into a little trouble with the fanbase, no one will care about any of that if he can perform well for the team. Vincent averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 assists per game in the playoffs for the Heat, and he already has a plan for how he will fit in with his new team.
“[Lakers] have a little bit of everything. They have size. They have athleticism. They have leadership. They got stars. I bring a little bit of toughness on defense, I bring some playmaking, I can make open shots. I think I showed in Miami that my game is pretty versatile… I could come in and just try to impact winning in a number of ways and every night it might be different.”
The Los Angeles Lakers will start the season with big expectations once again, and Gabe Vincent will be expected to potentially be the starting point guard for the team. If the 27-year-old can make it happen, fans might forget that he left Magic Johnson off of his all-time Top 5 after all.
