Hall-of-Famer Vince Carter is set to become the first player to receive the honor of having two teams retire his jersey. The Brooklyn Nets announced this in recognition of his tenure with them. However, the Toronto Raptors quickly overshadowed it by announcing that Carter would be the first player in franchise history to have his jersey in the rafters. The prestigious tribute left Carter extremely humble, and he compared it to a successful marriage.
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Carter made a guest appearance on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back.’ He shared his mindset leading up to the announcement from the Raptors and what it meant for him. He said,
“I look at it like a relationship. We want to get married. We want to be in a relationship so bad but we want the other side to want to be in it as well… I was patient. I was like if it happens it happens.”
“Jokić better wear 51.” @mrvincecarter15 opens up about the Raptors & Nets retiring his number 15.
https://t.co/wxmhpAGpO3 pic.twitter.com/OixkNNZanz
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 21, 2024
The decision to retire Carter’s jersey seemed like a no-brainer to many people. However, Carter’s analogy of a marriage is a great way to encapsulate his tenure with the Raptors. His latter years with the team included rocky tribulations between the two parties.
Carter’s relationship with the front office began to waver following several bad moves. The team’s hiring of Rob Babcock set the franchise back tremendously. Additionally, there was tension between head coach Sam Mitchell and Carter.
In 2004, the Raptors traded Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Toronto received Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams and two late first-round picks. However, Mourning refused to report to Toronto resulting in a buyout.
As a result, Carter became public enemy #1 in Toronto. He terrorized the Raptors in each return to the city, which further fueled the animosity from the fans toward him.
The Raptors traded Vince Carter to the Nets in 2004.
In his several returns to The Six, he hit two game winners #Vinsanity pic.twitter.com/MkvDrB3ZXN
— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2020
However, the love between the two parties never left. As time passed, the admiration returned, leading to this moment to be a night of celebration.
Carter’s career with the Raptors
The eight-time All-Star set an NBA record 22 seasons during his career. The most seasons he played with one team was seven, which came from his time with the Raptors.
In the 1998 NBA Draft, the Warriors selected Carter with the fifth overall pick. However, the Raptors quickly made a draft day trade to acquire the North Carolina star for Antawn Jamison.
Carter wasted no time making his presence felt, capturing the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year award with averages of 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
He earned two All-NBA appearances in his career, which came in his second and third seasons in the NBA. The 2000-01 season featured Carter’s best season in the NBA, where he averaged 27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The high-flying superstar led the Raptors to a Game 7 matchup against the Sixers in the semifinals. In the final moments, Carter had the opportunity to send his team to the Eastern Conference Finals but couldn’t convert.
Toronto wasn’t able to achieve the level of team success they desired during Carter’s time with the organization, but his impact is undeniable. He sparked a nationwide interest in the sport and helped spearhead Canada to a premier nation in competitive basketball.
