"I was fortunate to play for some great coaches and with some legendary players during my NBA career," said Vincent. "K.C. Jones and Phil Jackson each made an immediate impact on my career, as did Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. This is a wonderful chance for me to use the knowledge they have passed on to me and make an impact here in Mobile. I am honored to be given the opportunity to coach the sport I love and be a part of the NBA family."

Vincent, who played for seven years in the NBA, averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.9 assists per game with Boston (1985-86 and 1986-87), Seattle (1987-88), Chicago (1987-88 and 1988-89) and Orlando (1989-90 to 1991-92).

A native of Lansing, Mich., he attended Michigan State University where he averaged 16.8 ppg and earned several awards, including team MVP honors in 1983-1985 and The Sporting News All-America honors in 1985. He was also named MSU Media MVP in 1984 and 1985. After his four-year collegiate career at Michigan State, where he finished sixth in career scoring, ninth in career assists and third in career steals, the Celtics selected Vincent in the first round (20th overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft.

Highlights from Sam Vincent's playing career: 28.8+ | ISDN+

"Sam's history of leadership, coupled with his international coaching experience, makes him a valuable addition to the NBDL family," said Rob Levine, the NBA's Senior Vice President, New League Development. "He has a proven track record of helping players develop both on and off the court, and has a commitment to community outreach programs that will make the NBDL and the Central Gulf Coast proud."

During his professional career, Vincent played under the tutelage of renowned coaches Jones, Jackson, Doug Collins and Matt Guokas, who have collectively amassed more than 1,600 wins as head coaches in the NBA. Jackson has won seven NBA championships as a coach, and Jones won two during his career.

After his playing career, Vincent worked for one year as a special adviser to vice president Reggie Williams at Disney's Wide World of Sports, where he recruited major sporting events for the Orlando marketplace. In 1996, Vincent was hired as head coach of the Cape Town Kings in South Africa, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization, including business administration, sponsorship sales, marketing and communications. After three seasons with Cape Town, he was then named head coach for both the Men's and Women's South African Senior National Teams.

In 1999-2000, Vincent coached in the Greek A-2 Men's Basketball League in Larissa, Greece, and most recently was head coach of Canoe Jeans in Den Bosch, Netherlands, in the A1 Dutch League.