STOCKTON, Calif. — From dribbling on the courts at Saint Mary's High School to the NBA, Miami Heat point guard and Modesto native Gabe Vincent has always stood out.
"That's because he put a lot of work in," said Ken Green, Vincent's high school varsity head coach. "He was one of the best shooters we've had and certainly was a playmaker as well."
When Green watches Vincent make shot after shot, he still sees the Saint Mary's High School basketball star he once coached.
"There's a lot of similarity to how he played in high school. Defensively, he was tenacious and dogged," said Green. "He really moved his feet as well as any other player I ever coached. Offensively, incredibly smooth."
A former Saint Mary's teacher, Sarah Buhr, also sees similarities.
"Every once in a while, I still see flashes, like a facial expression or a certain look and I'm like, 'there he is,'" she said.
As Buhr gets her TV ready for the Heat's seven-round NBA finals series against the Denver Nuggets, she remembers when Gabe spent lunchtime in her classroom.
"It was kind of a place where I think Gabe got to just be a kid," said Buhr. "Because even in high school he had an aura, a sort of form of celebrity."
Even with his popularity around the halls of Saint Mary's, counselors, teachers and coaches have one common descriptor for Vincent: humble.
"He is just a good human being," said Nicole Rosado, Vincent's former counselor. "He's just solid. He came in laser-focused, he wanted to excel academically."
While Gabe and the Heat haven't taken home the championship trophy yet, the season alone is a slam dunk for the Saint Mary's community and leaves a lesson for generations of future ballers.
"I absolutely tell students about him and just that like hard work will pay off and if you have a dream, go chase it," said Buhr.
The next NBA Finals matchup between the Heat and Nuggets airs on ABC10 at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Watch more from ABC10: Stockton's Gabe Vincent on NBA Finals journey: 'It's very clear that we've been doubted'
