How Gabe Vincent was able to ‘earn trust’ with his teammates

LOS ANGELES – Over the past couple of seasons, Gabe Vincent has been able to carve out a bit of a leadership role with the Los Angeles Lakers. Vincent has become a respected voice not only in the Lakers’ locker room, but across the league in general. Last February, Vincent was elected as one of the vice presidents of the NBA Players Association.

Gabe Vincent’s leadership role with the Lakers is something that’s kind of developed over time, and one of the key reasons he feels like he’s been able to win over his teammates is simply by being healthy. Vincent’s first two seasons with the Lakers were marred by injuries, but he’s been a mainstay in the rotation going on two years now.

“I think I’ve just found my voice a little bit. I’ve gotten a little more comfortable. I think that me being a little more healthy has helped me to be able to be on the court and build some chemistry and camaraderie with the guys, earn some trust with them,” Vincent said following Lakers practice last Tuesday.

“It’s mostly just finding my voice. I’ve always had things to say, or felt a way about stuff,” Vincent continued. “It’s finding the right way to get through to people and to express the way I feel or what I’m seeing to help the group just move forward in the best way possible.”

Vincent is currently sidelined for at least one week with what’s being listed as low back soreness. But going back to last season, he’s become a favorite of head coach JJ Redick. His veteran presence and poise has been an important part of the team this season.

He’s been a crucial source of leadership for some of the younger guys, especially Bronny James. And one of the key reasons as to why Redick trusts him on the court is his ability to play alongside the Lakers’ star players.

“You give the ball space, run things with pace, put some trust in them and some responsibility in them to make the right reads, but allow talent to be talent,” Vincent said in terms of playing alongside stars. “I’d say not to overcomplicate things. To have simple actions and allow them to play. I think that’s when things get really unpredictable, harder to scheme versus everything being too structured.”

This season, Vincent has appeared in 14 games, including six starts, at a little over 21 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 4.7 points and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.2 percent from the 3-point line.

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