Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent revealed his top five players of all time in an interview with Lakers Daily.
Vincent had multiple Lakers on his all-time list, choosing Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell as his five greatest players ever.
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
The newly acquired Laker had some worries about listing Russell – a legendary Boston Celtics player – amongst his top five players since Boston is a rival with Los Angeles.
“You know what’s funny?” Vincent asked. “One of the names that just popped into my head was Bill Russell. May he rest in peace. But I was a little nervous to throw it out there since he’s a Celtic. I was a little nervous to throw it out there.”
Russell was an 11-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer during his amazing playing career. He’s arguably the greatest winner in all of professional sports because of his 11 titles.
It’s cool to see Vincent mention Lakers greats such as Bryant (a five-time NBA champion), Abdul-Jabbar (the second-leading scorer in NBA history) and James, who will be teammates with Vincent in the 2023-24 season.
All three of those Lakers players have played key roles in bringing titles to the franchise.
James could add to his legacy – and to Vincent’s resume – if the two players can help lead the Lakers to an NBA title in the 2023-24 season.
Vincent, who went undrafted in his journey to the NBA, had been a key piece for the Miami Heat the last few seasons before signing with the Lakers in free agency this offseason.
A strong perimeter defender, Vincent became a better offensive player over the years with Miami. During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s a great fit for the Lakers, especially since the team lost guard Dennis Schroder in free agency.
Every fan and player seems to have a different take on the greatest players in NBA history, but Vincent’s list is hard to argue with.
Some people may have Tim Duncan or Larry Bird in the top-five conversation, but Lakers fans will certainly appreciate the newly signed guard showing love to the franchise with his list.
