1. Early life and education
1.1. Birth and family
Gabe Vincent was born on June 14, 1996, in Modesto, California, to Franklyn and Cynthia Vincent. His father is Nigerian, and his mother is American, hailing from Connecticut. Both of his parents hold doctorates in psychology. Vincent is the youngest of three brothers in his family.
1.2. Education
Vincent attended St. Mary's High School in Stockton, California. After high school, he played college basketball for the University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) from 2014 to 2018. Over his four-year collegiate career, he appeared in 113 games, averaging 12.8 points per game. Following his senior season in 2018, Vincent was recognized for his performance by being named to the All-Big West Second Team.
2. Major Activities and Achievements
Gabe Vincent's professional journey began after college, leading him through the NBA G League to significant roles with NBA teams and the Nigerian national team, where he achieved notable milestones.
2.1. Professional career
Vincent's professional basketball career started in the NBA G League, where he developed his skills before making his mark in the NBA.
2.1.1. NBA G League
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Gabe Vincent participated in a pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings in 2018. Despite going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Kings on October 2, 2018. However, he was waived by the team just a few days later. Following his release, Vincent joined the Stockton Kings, the Sacramento Kings' affiliate in the NBA G League.
During the 2018-19 NBA G League season, Vincent played in 24 games for the Stockton Kings, starting in three of them. He averaged 8.8 points in 18.6 minutes per game. In the 2019-20 NBA G League season, Vincent's performance significantly improved. In 20 games (three starts) with Stockton, he averaged 23.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He demonstrated strong shooting percentages, hitting 46.9% from the field, 41.2% from three-point range, and 89.7% from the free throw line. Notably, he scored 35 points in a game twice in December 2019, including a performance against the South Bay Lakers.
Vincent also played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat, after signing with the Heat. On February 3, 2020, he tallied 27 points, three assists, and one rebound in a victory over the Salt Lake City Stars. Across all 31 G League games he played, Vincent averaged 20.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
2.1.2. Miami Heat
On January 8, 2020, the Miami Heat signed Gabe Vincent to a two-way contract, providing him with the opportunity to play for both the Heat and their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He made his official NBA debut on January 29, 2020, in a game against the Orlando Magic. On June 22, 2020, Vincent was recognized for his significant improvement, receiving the NBA G League Most Improved Player Award.
In his first season with the Heat, the team reached the 2020 NBA Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. On August 1, 2021, Vincent joined the Heat for the NBA Summer League, and five days later, on August 6, 2021, he signed a standard contract with the Miami Heat, solidifying his place on the main roster.
During the 2023 NBA playoffs, Vincent played a crucial role in the Heat's unexpected run to the NBA Finals as an eighth seed. In Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, he delivered a playoff career-high performance, scoring 29 points in a dominant 128-102 victory that gave the Heat a commanding 3-0 series lead. The Heat eventually won the series in seven games, advancing to the 2023 NBA Finals. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Vincent led his team with 23 points in a 111-108 win, tying the series at 1-1. However, he struggled with his three-point shooting throughout the Finals, converting only 33% from beyond the arc. The Heat ultimately lost the series to the Nuggets in five games.
2.1.3. Los Angeles Lakers
On July 6, 2023, Gabe Vincent signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The contract was reported to be for three years, valued at 33.00 M USD.
2.2. National team career
Gabe Vincent is eligible to represent the Nigerian national team, known as D'Tigers, due to his father's Nigerian heritage. He has been a key player for the team in international competitions. On August 24, 2019, Vincent notably scored 23 points against Poland, including a game-winning three-pointer with just 0.3 seconds remaining. He represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup held in China and also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2.3. Awards and achievements
- NBA G League Most Improved Player Award (2020)
- NBA Cup Champion (2023)
3. Career statistics
3.1. NBA statistics
3.1.1. Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Miami | 9 | 0 | 9.2 | .216 | .222 | - | .6 | .7 | .6 | .0 | 2.4 |
| 2020-21 | Miami | 50 | 7 | 13.1 | .378 | .309 | .870 | 1.1 | 1.3 | .4 | .0 | 4.8 |
| 2021-22 | Miami | 68 | 27 | 23.4 | .417 | .368 | .815 | 1.9 | 3.1 | .9 | .2 | 8.7 |
| 2022-23 | Miami | 68 | 34 | 25.9 | .402 | .334 | .872 | 2.1 | 2.5 | .9 | .1 | 9.4 |
| 2023-24 | L.A. Lakers | 11 | 0 | 19.8 | .306 | .107 | .500 | .8 | 1.9 | .8 | .0 | 3.1 |
| Career | 206 | 68 | 20.9 | .395 | .332 | .847 | 1.3 | 2.3 | .8 | .1 | 7.4 | |
3.1.2. Play-in
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Miami | 2 | 2 | 25.8 | .250 | .250 | - | 2.5 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| 2024 | L.A. Lakers | 1 | 0 | 17.9 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 9.0 |
| Career | 3 | 2 | 23.1 | .357 | .333 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 1.7 | .3 | .0 | 5.0 | |
3.1.3. Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Miami | 1 | 0 | .3 | - | - | - | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | Miami | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .667 | .500 | - | .3 | .7 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| 2022 | Miami | 18 | 8 | 23.5 | .382 | .309 | .950 | 1.9 | 3.2 | .8 | .3 | 8.0 |
| 2023 | Miami | 22 | 22 | 30.5 | .402 | .378 | .882 | 1.4 | 3.5 | .9 | .2 | 12.7 |
| 2024 | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 0 | 13.8 | .250 | .143 | - | 1.6 | .6 | .4 | .0 | 1.4 |
| Career | 49 | 30 | 24.6 | .393 | .347 | .907 | 1.5 | 2.9 | .7 | .2 | 8.9 | |
3.2. College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | UC Santa Barbara | 28 | 21 | 26.2 | .424 | .416 | .660 | 2.1 | 2.1 | .9 | .1 | 10.1 |
| 2015-16 | UC Santa Barbara | 33 | 32 | 32.0 | .406 | .385 | .808 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.1 |
| 2016-17 | UC Santa Barbara | 20 | 18 | 32.0 | .355 | .329 | .762 | 3.7 | 2.4 | .8 | .1 | 14.8 |
| 2017-18 | UC Santa Barbara | 32 | 30 | 29.1 | .450 | .377 | .805 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .2 | 12.4 |
| Career | 113 | 101 | 29.7 | .409 | .376 | .769 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .2 | 12.8 | |