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Three playoff appearances, a progressively bigger role that eventually saw him start in the NBA Finals, and his emergence as a reliable NBA role player. His experience with the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t allow him to have the same impact – perhaps not entirely through his own fault – and his new chapter with the Atlanta Hawkswhich began in February, now represents a genuine opportunity for a fresh start.

In Florida, one of Vincent’s closest friendships was the one he developed with Bam Adebayo. Aside from their first season, which was heavily affected by COVID- restrictions, the two regularly spent time together whenever they had some free time.

During a conversation with YouTuber Trey Mourning, Vincent shared a funny story about what had almost become a routine whenever they went out together.

The story is both amusing and revealing of the NBA lifestyle and the enormous financial differences that can exist even inside the same locker room. During the 2021-22 season, Vincent was making roughly $1.7 millionwhile Adebayo’s salary exceeded $28 million.

That gap makes Vincent’s hesitation over the idea of spending $1,500 on a night at the movies much easier to understand.

The 2023 free agency period would later allow the Nigerian-born guard to cash in on the growth he experienced under Erik Spoelstrasigning a three-year deal worth around $11 million per season. Even years later, though, the memory of those nights – and Adebayo’s decidedly extravagant spending habits – still makes Vincent laugh.

This upcoming season, however, Adebayo may have a few more reasons to keep the fun to a minimum and focus all his energy on the court. Pat Riley has sacrificed part of the franchise’s future in an attempt to immediately pursue the NBA titleentrusting Giannis Antetokounmpo with the task of leading Miami to the ultimate prize.