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The grand prize in basketball is considered by just about everyone to be an NBA championship. It’s what every player in the league that is super competitive aspires to win.
But there is also something major to be said about winning a gold medal for one’s home country, whether in the Olympic games or in the FIBA World Cup, which will take place later this summer.
New Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent reached the championship series with the Miami Heat in June only to lose to the Denver Nuggets. While he said he’s “really looking forward to raising that Larry O’Brien Trophy,” he said winning a gold medal for Nigeria, where his father is from, would be even greater.
Via Lakers Nation:
“For me personally, I have been really looking forward to raising that Larry O’Brien Trophy. But, knowing how much it would mean to the 400 million-plus people in Nigeria, let alone the one point something billion in the continent of Africa. That’s a hard one to pass up, you know getting a gold medal, especially in this sport where you know African teams haven’t had much a footing. Not only would it be fulfilling and great in its own way, but I think legacy wise, it would stand taller, stand a little longer. So, I’m gonna reluctantly have to say gold medal with Nigeria, I think that would just be epic.ˮ
Vincent will at least get a chance at raising that Larry O’Brien Trophy with a relatively stacked Lakers roster this NBA season.