The 2000 Slam Dunk is deeply etched into NBA fans’ memory because of Vince Carter’s unparalleled jams. He overshadowed pretty much every other participant, including his then-Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady. On his Instagram, McGrady answered a fan question about his favorite moment with his former teammate bringing the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest out of his hat.
Advertisement
McGrady disclosed that the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest winner prompted him “every day” to compete against him in the event. The eventual runner-up confessed that he knew the Vinsanity would win the contest. After all, he had seen him rock the rim “every single day”. Despite his continued reluctance, the 7x All-Star gave in to the demands of Air Canada.
“Every day this man[Vince Carter] was trying to convince me to get in the Slam Dunk Contest. I’ve seen what you can do. I’m watching you every single day. I’m watching you in the games. I am man enough to admit that. I can’t compete with that,” confessed Tracy McGrady.
The former Magic superstar admitted that the “whole world” knew who would emerge on top. However, he couldn’t ward off the stubbornness of the high-flyer who dazzled the world with his “honey-dip” dunks and scintillating spin moves. Apart from being close teammates, the two elite hoopers also shared a familial bond.
Tracy McGrady and Vinsanity are cousins
When Vince Carter was pursuing his NCAA career with North Carolina and Tracy McGrady was beginning his journey in the NBA, they discovered they were cousins. In 2023, ESPN posted a video of the two athletic cousins discussing how an excited McGrady informed Carter about their brotherly relationship.
T-Mac went to a family reunion and his grandmother was talking to Carter’s grandma. McGrady heard the conversation as his cousin’s grandma told him that her grandson was playing for the University of North Carolina.
Considering that T-Mac had an illustrious career at Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, he got curious about the person, later confirming that it was Vince Carter. Later, an over-the-moon McGrady called his cousin through the UNC guard’s grandma’s phone to inform him about the discovery.
“‘Wassup Cuz!’ I’m like bro, who is this? ‘Man, this is Mac, cuz! We family cuz’ Like, what are you talking about bro? This makes no sense,” Vince Carter recalled the phone call.
In the most cinematic way possible, the cousins would go on to play for the Toronto Raptors. While Tracy McGrady left for Orlando Magic to get out of his “cuz’s” shadow, for NBA fans it led to a huge What-if. They would have loved to see the two highly talented scorers stay with each other long-term and win a ring together.
