Vince Carter has decided to call it a career after 22 years in the NBA, playing for eight teams throughout.
Carter, 43, has spent his last few seasons on struggling teams, providing mentorship to the younger players. He found more value in mentoring young stars than chasing a ring in his last few years as a player in the NBA.
Carter had a very successful NBA career with eight all-star selections, two All-NBA selections, rookie of the year and slam dunk champion in one of the most exciting dunk contests ever.
After subpar slam dunk contests the few years prior, Carter brought it to life with his showing in the dunk contest in 2000. This is the highlight of his career and something he will always be remembered for.
Carter is credited with making a name for the Toronto Raptors, who were an expansion team in the 1990s. The Raptors were a nobody before Carter became a superstar, putting Toronto on the map. It is believed that they would not be the team they are today, with an NBA championship, if it were not for Carter in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Carter’s final season was cut short due to COVID-19, but had an impactful final moment, knocking down a three in the closing seconds as the crowd cheered.
“I was able to put the weird ending -- the abrupt stoppage of play, to an ending -- aside for the bigger picture,” Carter said.
Carter is currently at number 19 on the all-time scoring ranks with 25,728 total points accumulated throughout his lengthy NBA career. He averaged nearly 17 points per game and will be remembered by many as the greatest dunker in NBA history.
One unique aspect of Carter’s career is that he is the only player in history to play in three different decades.