With 23 points in Game 2 of the Finals in Denver, Gabe Vincent surprised again, or even confirmed depending on your point of view. The playmaker of the Heat is not a star but indeed achieves very good playoffs with 13.9 points on average.
For his fourth season, he has established himself as a starter in Miami and with 21 points on average, he is even his team’s second best scorer in these Finals, behind Bam Adebayo. Quite a revenge for an undrafted player but above all a model for many young players.
“For Nigeria, Gabe Vincent is an example”assures the former player Festus Ezeli, also Nigerian, for Andscape. “To know where you come from, to show how hard you have to work and to seize opportunities when they arise. To shine as it does is the result of a long work behind the scenes. For us, it matters. He is proud of his heritage and he plays for the Nigeria national team. »
Not the tallest, not the fastest, and even less the most athletic…
It was even with the selection that Vincent had achieved his first feat of arms. On July 10, 2021, Mike Brown’s men beat Team USA in a friendly match and the Miami player then scored 21 points in this surprise victory. During the Tokyo Olympics, this child of a Nigerian immigrant will be less effective with only 6 points on average, but the feat and the pride remain.
“It’s huge to have the word Nigeria on my shirt”he explains. “I have millions of people with me. I represent them, with pride. »
It is probably easier for young Africans, but also for more modest young players, to identify with Vincent, with his background and his physique far from being the most advantageous (1m90, 88 kg), than with 2m10 monsters with crazy triggers and endless arms.
“He can inspire people, being Nigerian, playing for this selection, with his victory against the Americans”, says Brown. “When you look at a guy like him, he is an example for young children in the United States and not just in Nigeria. Because he is not very tall, fast or athletic. But his journey was difficult, not being drafted. With his game and his level, he can become a source of inspiration for many people. »
| Gabe Vincent | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 9 | 9 | 21.6 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 50 | 13 | 37.8 | 30.9 | 87.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 68 | 23 | 41.7 | 36.8 | 81.5 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 8.7 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 68 | 26 | 40.2 | 33.4 | 87.2 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 9.4 |
| Total | 195 | 21 | 39.9 | 33.9 | 85.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 7.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
