STOCKTON, Calif. — A little bit of the Central Valley is heading to the NBA Finals.
Gabe Vincent, Miami Heat guard, is representing both Stockton and Modesto as the Heat aim to take down yet another top-seeded team, this time for the grandest prize in the NBA.
It's a tall task for any team. The Miami Heat overcame all the odds, taking down the No. 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 2 seeded Boston Celtics on their way to the finals. However, they'll be meeting yet another No. 1 seeded team from the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic.
"I think it's very clear that we've been doubted, time and time again. But that doesn't change the fact that we have one another," said Vincent. "That doesn't change the things that we're capable of doing when we're playing basketball.
ABC10's Kevin John spoke with the Miami Heat guard before the historic matchup in the NBA Finals.
This interview has been edited for brevity.
Kevin John: Do you feel that you're not only representing the Miami Heat, but you're also representing Stockton and the 209?
Vincent: I think everyone's representing where they come from as well. And I think we've been doing that as long as we've been playing, you know. Even though I went to college, people knew where I came from, and I think you represent those people as well. So, the people from home, come with me everywhere in that regard, you know? I'll forever be where I'm from, and they've played a huge role in my upbringing and getting me to where I am today and even accepting me where my time is in St. Mary's. Having transferred in, the city of embracing me and allowing me to be me, and to be me at that school and to grow and flourish. I'm forever grateful to my hometown.
Kevin John: Some refer to you as a Modesto native and other refer to you as a Stockton native. What do you refer to yourself as where you're from and which city you associate yourself with?
Vincent: It's a tough one. It's a tough one. I was born and raised in Modesto, so I think that that alone sets the tone for that. You know, the minute I transferred to Stockton, I just became known in the basketball community as the kid from Stockton, and I think that's kind of where it's at. Took a life of its own, and we ran with it. Like I mentioned before though, the city has embraced me and welcomed me in. And that's something that Stockton didn't have to do. I could have just been another player that transferred and played and left, but I felt loved from the city. They embraced me, and I'm very grateful when I do get a chance to represent them. And I take pride when people say, 'Oh, you're from Stockton.' I take pride in that, even though I necessarily wasn't born and raised there. You know, I appreciate them for embracing me and, Stockton embracing me as their own as well.
Kevin John: When you look at your personal journey, what does it say about trusting the process, knowing your value, working hard and eventually getting to where you want to be?
Vincent: I just I never gave up. You know, I was persistent. I had a plan in place. I had a vision, and I just follow the steps and trusted in the work that I put in.
Kevin John: Is there an inspiration that you have or a biggest influence who's played a critical role in where you're at now?
Vincent: I'd say my family, my family, for sure. Their endless support and love for me whether I'm playing in a game with Nigeria in the middle of China, mainland China, or I'm in Stockton, our hometown or Hawaii with Santa Barbara. They've been a great job of supporting me, showing me love through all the ups and downs and injuries that the championships, etc. So it's been great.
Kevin John: What do you attribute taking that next step this year too? And what do you attribute your overall proficiency on the court to this season?
Vincent: It's definitely been a lot of work put into that to be able to produce, but most importantly I think between my teammates and my coaching staff, they've poured confidence in me and pour life into me and encouraged me time and time again. You know, it's not that hard to take a shot when your star player is telling you to shoot when you catch it or giving you that confidence or feeding that into you. The support from my teammates and my coaching staff has been huge for me, and I'm definitely grateful to them to allow me to take on these moments.
Kevin John: If you had to describe just the theme of you guys is postseason, which is practically unprecedented, what would you refer to that as?
Vincent: Resiliency? I think we're very resilient group. I think a lot of what we are instilled with through our culture and through what we believe and how we practice that plays a major role. We understand that the way we do things and the way we operate isn't for everybody. You know, we start there with our culture. It's not for everybody, but we know the things that we're capable of. We continue to believe in one another, and play good basketball. We can do a lot of great things.
Kevin John: What is your message to all of those kids back in the 209 who want to be the next Gabe Vincent?
Vincent: Just stay focused, stay focused. There's gonna be a number of things along the way that will be distracting that will try to tear you from your ultimate goal or your vision -- just tried to stay focused on the task at hand.
For the full interview:
