NBA TV analyst Sam Mitchell has gone viral for an outburst with co-host Chris Miles. He leaked his co-host’s address live on TV in what seems to be a personal beef. The vitality of the moment has brought up skeletons in Mitchell’s closet with a forgotten Vince Carter altercation resurfacing as a result. Years ago, the then-Toronto Raptors’ head coach allegedly got into a physical confrontation with his star player.
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Although his altercation with Carter got physical, Mitchell and Miles managed to keep it to a verbal exchange. The former Raptors’ Head Coach took exception to something his co-host said about his financial situation. This led to Mitchell revealing Miles’ home address on TV, and his past altercation being brought up ince again.
Carter and Mitchell addressed the altercation years ago, but never provided context. However, Carter’s mother, Michelle, fixed that problem by spilling details about what really happened. She said,
“So I asked Vince what happened. He told me he couldn’t take Sam’s challenges anymore, so he picked him up and threw him on the massage table. That definitely happened. No question about it. And if anyone says it didn’t happen, they’re lying.”
Toronto had hired Mitchell leading into the 2004-05 season. But at the time, Carter’s relationship with the front office began deteriorating. This led to the two spending only half a year together, during which this incident took place.
According to Michelle, Mitchell kept challenging the high-flying star. Her son’s patience eventually ran out, and he retaliated by throwing Mitchell onto a massage table in the Raptors’ training facility.
Jalen Rose also supported Michelle’s account of the events in 2012, 7 years after the altercation took place. Rose revealed on Grantland.com that a heated fight broke out between the two. During the scuffle, Carter allegedly slammed his Head Coach onto the massage table.
Although Carter and Mitchell have never denied the event taking place, they hinted that it wasn’t as violent as painted out to be.
Carter and Mitchell’s reaction to the information coming out
Relatively soon after the altercation took place, information broke to the media. Reporters quickly tried to get the scoop directly from the source, with Vince Carter and Sam Mitchell both sharing their sides of the story.
In December 2004, the Raptors traded Carter to the New Jersey Nets. Following a matchup against the Spurs as a member of the Nets, Carter answered questions regarding the altercation in Toronto. He said,
“So? What’s the big deal? You make an altercation [sound] like a fight.”
The eight-time All-Star didn’t deny the altercation taking place. However, he dispelled any notion of it being a fight. His mother also proclaimed that she “did not say it was a fight.” Mitchell shared a similar sentiment.
Although Carter refuted the idea of a fight between the two, Mitchell went a step further by saying there wasn’t an altercation at all. He revealed that Vince only bear-hugged him and that it was playful fun.
As long as there isn’t any video footage of the altercation between the two, a degree of uncertainty will remain regarding what truly happened.
