After the game, Holiday said he’s received quite a bit of advice from his family and friends, as you might imagine. “Everybody. My brothers, my wife, my parents. I think during the game, though, most of the time it’s probably (assistant) Vin Baker,” Holiday said. “Vin Baker is always in my ear, continually telling me to be aggressive, continually telling me to pick up full court and make it hard on Chris Paul and Book and continually telling me I’m the greatest.
Vin Baker Rumors
All NBA Players
#0
Vin Baker
Position: -
Born: 11/23/71
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:240 lbs. / 108.9 kg.
Earnings: $97,390,894 ($142,268,291*)
Born: 11/23/71
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:240 lbs. / 108.9 kg.
Earnings: $97,390,894 ($142,268,291*)
His bond with members of the organization is undeniable. He spent two months last offseason working with Antetokounmpo in Greece, where their relationship deepened with the Bucks’ star in his home country. “One night we were we were talking and we had never had this conversation. And Giannis said to me, we were at dinner, and he said ‘Coach, like your story’s amazing. Like, I cannot believe it … it’s hard for me to even fathom what you’ve been through. “He was in awe that I had made it back from what I had gone through and I didn’t even realize he knew the extent of it.”
“I understand the addiction from every single level. I haven’t left, in my mind, all the bad things that happened. Like I didn’t forget about it. Nor have I forgotten about four years ago when I was just putting on a green apron at Starbucks. I’m not that far in the clouds. I have an absolute responsibility to provide hope for people who aren’t in healthy situations when it comes to addiction. “That proceeds anything else in my life.” Last summer, he was a pivotal presence in Bucks’ calls for social justice that brought the NBA postseason to a halt, bringing a spotlight to issues surrounding race and policing. And this year, he’s formed “Vin Baker Recovery” to open treatment centers in Milwaukee. “I call him my older brother,” Bucks forward Brook Lopez said. “It’s been a special bond that we have created. And he’s such a great basketball mind as well. Just having played on an NBA floor, he sees things sometimes the coaches miss. He knows what it’s like, and so it’s very special having him on the sideline.”
Two days after Oakley was arrested and dragged out of the Garden in February of 2017, Dolan famously invited several former players — including Latrell Sprewell — to attend a game. It was a transparent attempt to show Dolan had support despite the Oakley fiasco. One of the players in attendance, Vin Baker, told the Huffington Post at the time that Dolan “called me sounding really sad asking me if I would come sit with him. Hadn’t spoke to him in 15 years.” Lee, however, was clearly supporting Oakley. He wore a #34 Oakley jersey at his courtside seat and criticized Dolan for calling his friend an alcoholic.
Former NBA star and Old Saybrook native Vin Baker has been sober for almost 9 years but his journey to recovery was not an easy one. Now at 47, Baker is sober and trying to help others get back on track. Here’s his story in his own words: “My journey to recovery started with me hitting rock bottom in all facets of my life. Spiritually, physically, financially and probably in that order. I got tired of being tired. I just woke up one morning after having this amazing career and life of being in the NBA, and being an All Star, and being an Olympian in my time to waking up and everything being gone.”
Vin Baker: “My first few times of going to recovery, like I was in Boston playing for the Celtics as matter of fact, and the first time I went into detox was ‘I got to save my contract, I’ve got to save my career.’ It wasn’t I have to save my life and those were the very reasons that kept me in this vicious cycle of relapsing all the time.”
