This past season, guard Gabe Vincent was a big reason why the Miami Heat shocked the world and reached the NBA Finals.
During the regular season, they were last in the league in scoring and finished just 44-38, and they barely survived the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs.
Most expected the Heat to flame out early. But thanks to Vincent’s sharpshooting and outstanding defense, they upset the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, then got past the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
It seemed Vincent would remain with Miami this summer, but he instead opted to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While on “The Old Man & The Three” podcast, he said that “business got in the way” of him remaining in Miami.
Via ClutchPoints:
“Yeah, first of all, I don’t think it was easy,” Vincent said. “Like you said, Miami was the team that gave me an opportunity. I grew while there. We had some great runs while I was there. So it wasn’t easy and I don’t think it’s any secret, I was pretty open about willing to go back and wanting to go back, and my love for the organization, I think it was pretty reciprocated.
“But when it came down to it, business got in the way, and there were certain points that the Heat could only get to and other teams were able to get to more. It just kind of made more sense at the end of the day. And business played a role but also just situations, et cetera. So LA was the play and we’re looking forward to the future a little bit.”
Vincent is originally from the Central Valley and played his college ball at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he admitted that was also a reason he chose the Lakers.
“It’s awesome,” Vincent continued. “I mean, 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 grew up in California. You know about the Lakers and 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 got to 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.”
In addition, Vincent reportedly came to L.A. because he wanted to play for a team that can contend for the NBA championship.
Whether the 6-foot-2 man comes off the bench or replaces D’Angelo Russell in the starting lineup, he is set to play a key role in the success of his new team this coming season.
Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire