For many younger, avid basketball fans, the first thing you think of when you hear the name "Vin Baker" is the hefty big man who was more Jack Daniels than Jack Ramsey. Those in the Gabe-Dave demographic, Vin Baker was a beast in the paint in caught wreck in the mid-90's with Milwaukee and later with Seattle. Today, we remember the man who took as many shots as he made.
With the 8th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks took a chance on a lanky, unheralded power forward out of infamous pro factory, Hartford University, named Vin Baker. Other fun characters from that famed '93 Draft: J.R. Rider, Nick Van Exel and perhaps two of the ugliest men in NBA history, Gheorghe Muresan and Sam Cassell. Baker was named to the All-Rookie first team after a debut season that saw him average 13.5 points and nearly 8 boards per game. Baker would step it up the next season, averaging a double-double with 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in '94. Big Vin would follow up his sophomore season with the two best seasons of his career, averaging 21 and 10 in '95 and '96 while being named to the first two of four straight All-Star appearances. Just before the '97 season, however, Milwaukee shipped Baker to Seattle in a three-team trade that saw the Bucks get back Tyrone Hill and Terrell Brandon, Cleveland acquire serial baby maker Shawn Kemp and the statistically irrelevant Sherman Douglas. Baker's numbers in Seattle weren't on par with his run with the Bucks but they weren't far off, as he would make two more All-Star appearances in '96 and '97 and get his first taste of the playoffs. Still, after four years in Seattle, the Sonics would deal Baker to Boston along with Shammond Williams in exchange for Kenny Anderson(whose ex-wife, Tami, you might recognize as the token loud crazy bitch on the ridiculously unbearable reality show "Basketball Wives" on VH1), Tarheel bust Joe Forte and prototypical stiff Vitaly Potapenko.
While his 15 and 8 in Beantown was respectable, Baker would perfect more than his post game while in Boston. During a lockout-shortened season in '98, his weight exploded to around 300 pounds. Baker would inevitably get his weight down to the 250 range but not before admitting to being a recovering alcoholic who would binge drink after bad games. The Celtics suspended Baker for showing up drunk to practice and eventually was released. The New York Knicks, who never met a bad penny they could resist attempting to polish, took a chance on Baker later that year and Baker and the Knicks would stumble into the playoffs. Midway through the next season in 2005, the Knicks dealt Baker to Houston along with Moochie Norris, Norris' afro and a 2006 2nd round pick that turned into generic white point guard Steve Novak. The Rockets would send back undersized nobody Maurice Taylor. Six months later, Houston cut him and he was picked up by the Clippers. After a brief run as a reserve in L.A., Baker took one last shot to remain relevant by signing with Minnesota but was released after six games.
In his 13 year career, Baker finished with an average of 16.6 points and 8.2 boards.
So, let's give a round of applause for the hungover Chris Webber, Vin Baker, everybody!
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