The Sam Vincent Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Monday, May 15th,
2006
As
a rookie, what was it like for you to win a ring? And what does it mean to
you now, twenty years later?
As
a rookie, I was a young guy caught up in the moment. I wanted to play more,
there were a lot of great players ahead of me, so it was a case of wanting
to contribute more to the team’s success. So I wasn’t as appreciative then
as I am now. Now, I look back at all of those Hall-of-Fame players and I
understand that it helped to mold me into the person that I’ve become. It
has helped me to become a better coach, and it has helped me to develop the
younger players in a way that maybe I couldn’t have otherwise.
You played 43 games for Seattle SuperSonics, teaming with future Celtic
Xavier McDaniel. Please tell me about your experience in Seattle in
general, and about Xavier McDaniel in particular.
My
experience in Seattle was probably one of the toughest times in my career.
I think I was still pretty disappointed about the trade. I still felt that
I didn’t get the opportunity that maybe I should have in Boston. On the
other hand, I also thought the additional playing time that I received in
Seattle was great – it was a welcome change – but at the same time, I had
trouble getting over the circumstances that put me in a Sonic uniform. I
felt that it affected my development as a player, and it was something that
I struggled with the rest of my career. So, with that said, I think my time
in Seattle was pretty disgruntled. I just wasn’t happy. But even with all
of that going on, Xavier and I had a great relationship. I enjoyed being
there with him – he was a tough competitor, a tough guy, and a tough player.
You were traded from Seattle to Chicago for Sedale Threatt. In Chicago, you
enjoyed the best statistical numbers of your career: 13 points and 8.4
rebounds-per-game. What was this experience like for you, and what was it
like to team with a young Michael Jordan?
It
was great experience. I think I played a little bit better because I was
around a team that was more my age, unlike the veteran situations in Boston
and Seattle. The guys on that Bulls team were pretty much my peers,
age-wise, and because of that I was able to be a little more relaxed.
Playing with Michael was a great feeling. He was the consummate pro – a
hard worker who expected the best out of everyone, including himself. Hw
was also a super-duper-star [laughs]. I feel that I really learned a lot
from him, as far as how to conduct myself as a player in the National
Basketball Association.
You began working with African basketball teams in 1997, starting in South
Africa. In 2004, you were the head coach of the Nigerian Women’s Olympic
Basketball Team. Please tell me about your experience in Athens.
I
was a special time, because it made me feel like I was doing something that
very few people have ever had the opportunity to do. Being an American
coach of a foreign national team was a proud moment for me. My work with
that team didn’t show up in wins and losses, or medals for that matter – we
won one game, which was an Olympic first for Nigeria, but it was the start
of something that will one day pay dividends for that country. I was able
to fit into that role because of my experience in the NBA, and also because
of my coaching experience in the WNBA and the NBA Developmental League. It
helped prepare me for the task at hand.
I
hear that you will be coaching the men’s Olympic team in Beijing.
I’m
coaching the men’s team at the world championships in Japan this coming
summer, and then we have to qualify for the Olympic Games by doing well in
Angola. I anticipate that we’ll do well enough there to compete in Beijing.
Final
Question: You’ve achieved great success in your life. You are universally
respected and admired by many people, both inside and outside of the NBA.
If you could offer one piece of advice on life to others, what would that
be?
Understand
how important your actions are, because your actions impact so many people.
Always work as hard as you can in every aspect of your life, whether it is a
family relationship or a professional relationship, because what you put
into those relationships is what you’re going to get out.
