Sam Vincent helps grow the game he loves

If you ask Sam Vincent his favorite basketball memory, he’ll tell you there are too many to name.

But there is one that stands out — a memory that’s 30 years old, but Vincent remembers it with absolute clarity.

It was Oct. 13, 1989, and the fledgling Orlando Magic were hosting the defending champion Detroit Pistons at the old Orlando Arena.

And this wasn’t just any exhibition game — this was the first-ever game in the history of the franchise.

“I’ll never forget that moment — coming down as part of an expansion team, and the excitement and euphoria around the team,” Vincent said. “Our first game was a sell-out crowd. We won that opening game, and oh man, our fans went crazy and our players went crazy.”

While the game’s score didn’t matter as far as standings go, it set off a love for the community that affected Vincent on another level. Along with the 30th anniversary of the Magic being this year, it’s also why Vincent is back in the Orlando area — where he now lives in the Horizon West community.

“It’s something that has really stayed connected to me,” Vincent said. “I think (it’s) a big part of the reason why I’m so committed and really enjoy so much being in the Central Florida area — I had to find a way to give back to the youth.”

Since founding the Global Coach Foundation, Vincent has made it his life’s work to help grow the game of basketball by offering programs for both players and coaches alike.

While he is currently offering programs in Orlando, Vincent is currently in talks with local organizations here in West Orange County — including the Ocoee Parks and Recreation Department and the West Orange Recreation Center.

Right now Vincent has multiple programs that he is working on that could be brought to the area, including the AAU Global Volunteer Coach’s Development program. 

The program — in collaboration with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) —  offers up 90-minute clinics for coaches to help develop mentoring aspects of coaching. 

A big learning stand point from the program, Vincent said, would be around teaching young coaches that there is more to the game than simply winning. By teaching coaches this mindset, the kids that they help are more likely to stay with the sport.

“We’re trying to show appreciation for the volunteer coaches, because they put incredible time and commitment into working with these kids, but a lot of times they don’t necessarily have the right tools to be able to make it as effective as they would like,” Vincent said. “We see it as a way to support the coaches and create more excitement for the kids.”

And if there is someone who understands good coaching practices and how to properly deal with players, it’s Vincent.

The Michigan native has a long history of basketball, dating back to when he won the state’s first ever Mr. Basketball in 1981. Vincent would follow up that award playing point guard at Michigan State.

After being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft, Vincent would spend the next seven years playing ball alongside NBA legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. His first year with Boston as a reserve player would see him win an NBA title with the Celtics.

His coaching career would run from 1999 to 2016 when Vincent traveled the world coaching a number of teams — from AEL 1964 to the Charlotte Bobcats (2007-2008) to his most memorable job coaching the Nigerian women’s basketball team in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

While he is no longer coaching at that highest of levels, the work that Vincent is doing now is just as — if not more — important.

“(It’s) the satisfaction that sports will always be there as an avenue and outlet for kids to dream, secure opportunities and develop as individuals,” Vincent said. “To me sports are bigger than just sports.”