Vin Baker: He was one of the BEST IN THE NBA until Addiction led to his DOWNFALL | FPP
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- There’s a long list of great power forwards of the 90s and 2000s, with obvious names like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, and then other great forwards like Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber, but another one who had the skills and talent to matchup with any of those guys was Vin Baker. His name doesn’t get brought up often, but he could play power forward and center while stretching the floor with his shooting range, and his rare ability to handle the ball at his size, even allowed him to play small forward effectively or just push the ball in transition on the break. He was touted by Sports Illustrated as “America’s Best Kept Secret” as a star at the University of Hartford where he was one the Nation’s top scorers. He was unknown to a lot of fans; but the Milwaukee Bucks made him a top 10 pick in the 1993 NBA draft. Over the next few years he would up his game each season while teaming with Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen, but after 4 years of no team success he was traded to the Seattle Supersonics and given the difficult task of replacing Shawn Kemp. He would team with guys like Gary Payton, Hersey Hawkins and Detlef Schrempf as the Sonics were one of the league’s top teams with one of it’s power forwards during the ’98 season. But once players returned from the lockout the following year, Vin Baker would never be the same as he spent the rest of his time Seattle seeing his role diminish until the once Franchise was traded away. But it was once he got to the Boston Celtics that his secret came out, as it was revealed that he had been struggling with an alcohol addiction for years; and this alcoholism confession explained his rapid decline. He was never able to beat his addiction during his playing years, but would turn his life around in 2010s. And it’s true that a lot of years of his career look pretty bad; but before he began battle with alcoholism, Vin Baker was one of the best in the league and only looked to be getting better.
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That Kemp/Baker/Brandon Trade was actually great in 1998 and a disaster after that first year. The '99 lockout ruined Baker and Kemp for very similar reasons.
Horace Grant
Juwan howard
Antonio McDyess
Tom Gugliotta
Charles oakley
Anthony mason
Christian Laettner
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Danny manning
Vin baker
Chris webber
kevin garnett
Derrick Coleman
Larry johnson
Shawn kemp
Dennis Rodman
Karl malone
Charles barley
In the 1990s, there were many very attractive and unique power forwards.
Like the 2000s, the 1990s were a golden age for PF.
Tyrone Hill
Chris Gatling, Clifford Robinson.
@sk1b-m244 Uncle Cliffy yes but not Gatling. Otis Thorpe, Elden Campbell and Kevin Willis too were serviceable
Tim duncan
@@slimbibi7329 Too late in the decade
one reason for the Sonics locker room tension in 1996-97 was Kemp being upset about them bringing in Jim Mclevaine to a big money deal
Then they should've paid Kemp more. Kemp was the best player on seattle payton 2nd
If I could make a request, I think another small school player with a solid career to cover would be Lindsey Hunter. Great defender & NBA champ on a couple of teams
A lot of these NBA Players would be Hall Of Famers if not for Substance Abuse or A will not to get better
People get over it. At least he lived his dream. We all fall short and have addictions to something....
Seems like the 99 lockout affected quite a few of the players covered by this channel. On the bright side for Vin Baker he's gotten sober and won a championship as an assistant coach for the Bucks in 2021.
Damn, for real?
@@sincereyoutubeapology Yep.
I wish they let him play like he did in College he was cold with that handle
I wish Vin never ended up with an addiction.... Mental health is real.. Check on those who matter to you. Since Vince Carter's bday is coming up(1/26) can you do one on him?
to think him and Kemp were swapped for each other and then a year later they get way out of shape assuming the season would be cancelled and never be the same again, although had he stayed with the Bucks and played in the playoffs for them after George Karl arrived his Bucks career would likely be remembered much more fondly
That particular lockout had so many players looking way out of shape!😮
Growing up being from Hartford. I started hearing about Vin Baker, late. He has a daughter that plays for Virginia Tech! She’s nice.
Dude was a beast in the PINT...i mean paint lol
😂😂😂😂
Booooo
He was great player in Milwaukee
20 & 10 machine
Vin was boozer with a slightly better handle and a love for booze. Wild, LOL! 🤨
I remember that young Bucks team, they were really building something special there but just like everyone else in that era the Bulls and Jordan were the the kings of the league. I loved watching Vin Baker play though he was definitely a one of a kind for that time frame in the league and he really set a new trend for years to come after getting drafted as a lot of teams were trying to find their own Vin Baker.
Great video, I knew you were going to make a video on Vin Baker. He was really good in the 1990s and could have been hall of fame if wasn’t for the problems he faced. Nice video
This is such a fantastic series, great players that deserved to be remembered. One player I'd love for you to cover is John Drew one day. Statically Drew could have been a superstar and offensively hes one of at the Hawks great players. Unfortunately he got caught up in the NBA player drugs scandal in the early 80's and was one of the players who got banned for life. Its for this reason his careers been largely and purposely forgotten by the NBA. I think he'd be an interesting player to cover if you get the chance, ty
Your channel is a must! Great
thanks for this...been waiting for this. One of my fav players in the 90s
Pleease do Christian Okoye if you do another football one..he was a beast fr...🤞🏾🙏🏾
27:00 That's right!! He got a championship ring with the Bucks! I'm also happy that Calvin Booth got a ring as Nuggets' general manager.
Thank you 😊
Make no mistake. Vin Baker had a GREAT 1997-98 regular season with us in Seattle. He was so awesome! Milwaukee fans were saying, "We should have traded Glenn Robinson to Seattle, instead of Baker."
Vin could have been so much better but absolutely did himself proud early in his NBA career 👏
Vince Carter next, please
Luv your videos keep making them 💎 I see you watch Q n the blackest one
Rick Smits is a another one to consider one of the greatest pacers ever
Rik Smits only played for my pacers i think he does guys who played on multiple teams he has done alot of Pacers
CAN YOU IMAGINE HIM ON THE SAME SEATTLE SUPERSONICS TEAM WITH SHAWN KEMP AND DETLEF SCHREMPF.A 6’11 STRETCH PF/C ALONG WITH THE 6’10 FORWARD DUO OF KEMP/SCHREMPF.MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CHAMPIONSHIP OR TWO.MAYBE TOOK THE JORDAN LED BULLS TO SEVEN GAMES 🏀
4:18 Trae Young behind Vin's right shoulder? :D
Bring back our Sonics!
I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American and male. When Vin Baker was drafted in 1993, he was either Danny Manning or Brad Sellers. I believed he'd be more Danny Manning. I loved his ball-handling abilities. When he got traded to Seattle in 1997-98, I did not know, that he was such a capable outside shooter! But, after his disastrous 1998-99 season, the Sonics SHOULD have just let his contract expire, and let him go.
Vin Baker was a good player that did it all on the basketball court and to bad he made bad decisions when it came to his drinking because was a beast earlier on in his career with hitting shots and blocking people on the floor. And on a side note I have a you tube channel type in Russell Mills May 22, 2017 to find me.
His shoes (Nike Air Vindicate) are my favorite shoes ever. Hella ugly but so comfortable. I on my 3rd pair, which I had to reglue the soles after like 2 wears. But the suede sides were so comfy.
Do a video on Josh Smith
i hope that you include he got drunk before every game
Another great Power Forward in a great era of Powèr Forwards would love too see you cover Chris Webber Elton Brand Antawn Jamison Zach Randolph Antoine Walker
Saw Lindsay Hunter mentioned at the start, that would be a good one to do, I thought he was a great wee player. Cheers!
please tell me how you all feel about the career of vin baker and i'll rank these title teams in this EXACT order #1 71 bucks #2 79 sonics and #3 21 bucks no disrespect but the coaching from george karl and lenny wilkens didn't equal the playing from a legend i still really LOVE being kareem abdul-jabbar
His shoe was tough too. Jordan Pro Strong.
He really could have been all nba for years to come addiction is worst thing we can do to ourselves
Terell Brandon next
17:30 Yes, Vin Baker came back and averaged 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, BUT there was a clear QUALITATIVE difference (not a good one) in his game, compared to earlier seasons, when he put up similarly good numbers.
Fantastic video! I loved vin, just say no.
Can you do Terry Cummings
"Is that your smelling like that?lol
Alcohol gotta be a tough one to quit since you see it when ever you go get food or essentially go outside im glad that he has gotten it under control but its s lifelong disease
Spud Webb Mugsy Bogues Micheal Adams Mookie Blaylock Detlef Shrimp Rik Smits Manute Bol Moses Malone Charles Oakley Vinnie Johnson Clyde Drexler Jayson Williams Craig Hodges Vernon Maxwell Bill Lambeer
Shane Battier, Yao Ming, Rik Smits, James Posey
He came to my Knicks and fell off the map got fat no fire I remember watching him and fell so disappointed
If the Bucks had a decent pg for Vin and Glenn and waited another year or 2 they couldve ran the east with them 2 and Ray Allen 99 to 03 Vin might stayed sober
Better careers than DC
How about a Dale Ellis or Dennis Scott video?
Curry brothers
Wilkins brothers
Morris brothers
Lopez brothers
Gasol brothers
Grant brothers
Vin Baker was the American Yannis. He (Baker) could do it all just like Yannis does now, with better Jump shot. Should have been a Hall of Famer!
They traded alcoholics for one another. But Baker was younger than Kemp.
Vin and Shawn literally fell off the same time the same way
10:00 Chris Ford is no longer with us.
The bakery is open
You draft a kid into an alcoholic city, Milwaukee, where food is an afterthought to beer sales, and then wonder how addiction could grab hold of your draft pick. Smh.
3:45 Not that anyone replies but Who knows who that is attempting to post up Vin Baker?
Sans google 😂
Hint Shaq of the NAC
Skip Bayless still think Ray Allen Saved Lebron Legacy
What legacy?
@@michaeladams5636 ask Skip Bayless
Vin Baker and Roy Tarpley same story smh real sad
He was good , but never as good as Shawn Kemp was.
Pierce and Walker were the two most out of shape looking guys in the league, but they could score. Vin Baker and Tayshaun looked bad too. They had to be able to score though guy who is about to type Oliver Miller and Taylor.