Vin Baker

Baker played for Old Saybrook High School in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He first started on Old Saybrook's varsity in his junior year.^[1] Baker was passed over by the bigger Division I schools and signed a scholarship offer from the Hartford Hawks.

During Baker's inaugural season in 1989, he averaged 4.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, which earned him a place on the North Atlantic Conference (now America East Conference) All-Rookie Team. Named a starter for his sophomore season, Baker averaged 19.7 PPG and 10.4 RPG and a first team All-NAC spot. As a Junior, Baker averaged 27.6 PPG (2nd in the country), 9.9 RPG, and 3.7 blocks per game (5th in the country), though the team finished with an abysmal 6–21 record. Entering his final season, Baker was called "America's Best-Kept Secret" by Sports Illustrated^[2] and the conference's most dominant player since Reggie Lewis by Street & Smith's College/Prep Basketball Preview in 1992.^[3] Baker averaged 28.3 PPG (4th in the country) and finished with 792 points in only 28 games, a conference record that still remains in the NAC. He finished with 2,238 points, a school record that still stands. However, Baker was not able to translate his immense scoring abilities into team success, as none of his teams ever made the NCAA tournament, and the best his Hartford teams ever finished in a season was .500 (14–14).

Baker's jersey (#42) hangs on the east wall of Chase Arena in the Reich Family Pavilion.^[4]

Baker has a non-profit foundation called the Stand Tall Foundation.^[15] The Stand Tall Foundation is an organization that helps give kids a better future by financially assisting with different charitable and volunteer organizations. The goal of the Stand Tall Foundation is to help young people with their education, personal development and general well-being.^[15]

On June 3, 2011, Baker was hired as an assistant high school boys basketball coach at St. Bernard School in Uncasville, Connecticut.^[16]

In 2014, Baker was named to a team assembled by Dennis Rodman as part of his "basketball diplomacy" effort in North Korea; the team was assembled to play an exhibition game against the North Korean Senior National Team to celebrate the birthday of Kim Jong-un.^[17]

As of December 2015, Baker was managing a Starbucks location in Old Lyme, Connecticut.^[18] Baker later became Fox Sports Milwaukee's home team broadcaster.^[19]

In 2017, Baker became the head of the basketball department at Camp Greylock.^[20]

On July 18, 2020, The Vin Baker Foundation hosted a 5k run called "Addiction Ends Here".^[21]

Since 2018, Baker has been serving as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks,^[22] helping them win a championship in 2021.^[23]

Baker's mother is Jean Baker. His father, Rev. James Baker, is an auto mechanic and Baptist minister.^[24] Baker has a wife and four children.^[25]

On June 19, 2007, Baker was arrested in Norwich, Connecticut for drunk driving after leaving Foxwoods Resort Casino.^[26]

On June 21, 2008 ml-implode.com reported that Baker's 10,000 sq ft (930 m²) Durham, Connecticut home was foreclosed and put up for sale for $2.3 million.^[27] The house was purchased by U.S. Bank for $2.5 million at an auction on June 28, 2008.^[28] Baker reportedly lost over $100 million due to financial troubles.^[29]

Baker has struggled with depression and alcoholism. Baker cites these issues as the main reason his career seemingly derailed out of nowhere.^[30] In 2013, the New York Daily News reported that he had stopped drinking alcohol on April 17, 2011.^[31]

• List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders