Vince Carter, who was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last weekend, was scheduled to give his speech at the iconic Springfield Symphony Hall. It seems he could not contain the excitement. Unlike most inductees, the Raptors legend did not want to wait till Sunday to check out the arrangements. He arrived a day before the ceremony, trying his best to go undetected or rather, hide in plain sight. Needless to say, he failed hilariously.
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While reviewing the best moments from the 2024 Hall of Fame event on NBA Today with Malika Andrews, ESPN senior writer Marc J. Spears revealed how the eight-time All-Star tried to hide his presence while visiting his Hall-of-Fame display a few hours before the ceremony.
Spears was checking out Carter’s memorabilia in the Naismith Hall of Fame Memorial in Springfield, Massachusetts, when he felt a tap on the shoulder. It was Carter. The 47-year-old was wearing a mask and a hoodie to avoid being recognized. However, his 6-foot-8 frame and the considerably large pack of people trailing him gave it away. Spears said,
“I get a tap on the shoulder, and I look up, and you know I am tall, so I ain’t looking up much and it’s Vince Carter with a mask on and a hoodie trying to be incognito at 6-foot-8. Come on dog! You can’t just hide, everybody knows who you are. He had a security guard with him, his aunt, and a couple of other, like five or six people, an entourage. ”
However, Spears was glad to see how enthusiastic and proud Carter was about being inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, a recognition he deserved.
Vince Carter’s incredible career
The guard was a star right from his debut season in the NBA. The Raptors picked him fifth overall in the 1998 NBA draft and he repaid their faith by winning the Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and three assists.
In his sophomore season, he upped his production to 25.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He became the first Raptors player to earn an All-Star and an All-NBA nod. As impressive as he was for the Raptors, his performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest made him a household name.
The young guard put on a show for the ages and his incredible display is still remembered as the greatest Dunk Contest performance ever.
Every Vince Carter dunk from the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest pic.twitter.com/ZoLiFVhH99
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) February 9, 2021
His performances earned him a call-up to Team USA’s Sydney Olympics roster and at the event, he delivered another dunk that’s etched in the fans’ memories. During the second half of a game between Team USA and France, an errant pass from a French forward went straight to Carter, who took off with the ball and dunked it over 7-foot-2 center Frederic Weiss. The vicious slam was dubbed ‘The Dunk of Death.’
September 25, 2000: Vince Carter. Frédéric Weis. Olympics. The Dunk of Death. pic.twitter.com/hk8XlAAdD6
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) September 25, 2023
While his dunking prowess helped him become a popular player, there was more to his game. He was terrific from beyond the arc and shot over 38% in nine of his 22 seasons in the NBA.
After spending the first 13 seasons of his career as a starter, he became a stellar bench player and spent his final nine seasons in that role. Carter retired at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, his 22nd in the NBA.
He’s the only player to play 22 seasons in the league. However, LeBron James will join him in achieving that feat on the opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season. Carter is also one of only 25 players in NBA history with over 25,000 points. While he may not have won an NBA title, his impact on the sport made him deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.
