TORONTO – Former Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter will have his No. 15 retired by the NBA team this season, according to multiple media reports.
The 47-year-old Hall of Famer is expected to have his jersey retired in Toronto on Nov. 2 and will become the first Raptor to receive the honour.
Carter was the Raptors’ first superstar and is credited for raising the profile of the team and igniting enthusiasm for basketball across Canada.
But the decision to retire his jersey is polarizing, with some fans and local media members still smarting from his acrimonious departure from the team in December 2004.
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Carter was traded to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets for a meagre return early in the 2004-05 season amid claims that he “quit” on the team.
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Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals over 403 games with the Raptors.
During his time in Toronto, the athletic Carter was perhaps best known for his highlight-reel dunking ability. He won the NBA’s slam dunk contest in 2000 with a memorable performance, clinching the title with a 360-degree windmill jam.
He was an eight-time NBA all-star (2000-07), but even when his explosiveness left him, he managed to find a niche as a veteran role player. Carter played 22 seasons, retiring after the 2019-20 season while with the Atlanta Hawks, and is the only NBA player to suit up for action in four different decades.
Carter made his debut with the Raptors in 1998 after being traded to Toronto at that year’s draft after being selected fifth overall by Golden State.
He also played with Dallas, Memphis, Orlando, Sacramento and Phoenix. Carter finished with averages of 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3,1 assists and one steal over 1,541 regular-season NBA games.
Carter will enter the Basketball Hall of Fame next month and will have his number retired by the Nets in January.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.
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