Vince Carter had his share of success in basketball although he missed out winning an NBA title. Regardless, the eight-time All-Star will remain an icon and be remembered as he continues to see his name enter the record books. He has etched his name in NBA record books for playing games, scoring, and the only player to have played in four different decades. That may do despite not winning a ring.
Unlike other NBA stars who retired before him, Vinsanity did not get the usual farewell tour. Regardless, the 43-year-old hardly cares about it. All he wants right now is to savor the remaining games the Hawks will be playing this 2019-20 NBA season. The Hawks will not advance to the NBA playoffs.
This early, Carter's Atlanta teammates are already saying nice things for the retirement-bound cager. That includes Kevin Huerter who reveals how the 1999 NBA Slam Dunk champion guides them and serves as an extension to the Hawks coaching staff, Forbes reported.
“It’s not always about what he says but how he’s acting throughout the course of the game, different stuff he sees. He’s not afraid to speak up and tell us how defenses are playing where we should react and things like that. He’s really an extension of the coaching staff in a lot of ways. He’s been great," Huerter said.
Carter's role in mentoring is to be expected. Unfortunately, this did not help the 2019-20 NBA campaign of the Hawks although other factors need to be considered. That includes injuries to key players and missing personnel playing key positions. Looking ahead, Carter may not get the chance to guide incoming young players on the floor. However, he could do so as part of the coaching staff if Hawks' management offers him one.
As far as his retirement, Carter is not thinking about it that much. Players like Dewayne Dedmon are teasing him, counting his own games. For Carter, enjoying the last moments of his storied NBA career is all he wants. He mentioned this in an interview via the Atlanta Hawks Twitter account.
As for the Hawks, the future looks bright. They were able to bring in key players like Dedmon and Clint Capela. More are expected to be added this summer. Head coach Lloyd Pierce knows that the only way to go is up. But this early, he is setting Atlanta's goal for next season - make the NBA playoffs at the least.
