Nigeria's Gabe Vincent to fill in for injured Lakers star LeBron James on opening night

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent capped a strong individual preseason camp by scoring 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the team’s final tuneup, a 117-116 loss to the Sacramento Kings that left the Lakers with a 1-5 preseason record.

Vincent’s performance was critical to securing a starting spot in the absence of the team's main superstar, LeBron James.

The guard said the coaching staff informed him of the lineup change on Friday morning.

He had reinforced his case earlier in the week by scoring 18 points in the first four minutes against the Dallas Mavericks.

When asked about his fit alongside the starters, Vincent emphasized his versatile contribution:"I think I just bring what I've been doing since I've been here," Vincent said.

"Just defending, try to defend at a high level. Playmake when I have opportunities, space the floor while Luka and [Austin Reaves] are creating themselves."

Vincent will join Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura in the starting five for the regular season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.