Vince Carter was rumored to push for season No. 23 of his NBA career following the confirmation that the Atlanta Hawks will not take part in the Orlando bubble games in July. The NBA legend, however, has decided to exit the game that has dominated and defined his life in a span of four decades.
Carter was already in the league when Michael Jordan was called his Airness. And when the era of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant was ushered in, Carter was part of the complete NBA narrative during those days.
LeBron James came in and the King still rules with Carter also part of the story. Too bad though, the admired dunking champion will no longer be around in the years to come. Fadeaway World reported that the 43-year-old is calling it a day for the last time, the end of a 22-season run in the NBA partly forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carter, however, admitted that while he is at peace with his decision to retire, the ending came rather awkwardly. Because of the global health crisis that caused the death of hundreds of thousands, the NBA games were halted and the stoppage led to the Hawks exiting early.
He added that the big picture is clear to him - that what is happening right now is "something bigger than my career."
In a phenomenal career that saw Carter registering more than 25,000 points, one of the highlights, and there are many, is his stint with the Nets and playing alongside a fellow All-Star, Jason Kidd.
Kidd took to Twitter to honor the friend he had made while starring for the Nets, then based in New Jersey.
"Congrats to one of my all-time favorite teammates @mrvincecarter15 on an incredible career. See you in @HoopHall," the Lakers assistant coach was reported as saying.
The post read right. Kidd is batting for the man to be recognized as a Hall of Famer and Carter's record can vouch for the endorsement. The 22 seasons invested by Carter in the NBA saw him chalking up the numbers that legends like him are known for.
The NBA superstar can look back and smile at the fact that his time with the league made him near-equal to the best of the best. And to be sure, Jordan, Bryant, and James are only too happy to count Carter as one of them.
In terms of legacy, the NBA will certainly acknowledge Carter as one of the best dunkers the league has produced, possibly lined up to greats such as Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and Dominique Wilkins.
However, Carter will always be the face immediately associated with the Toronto Raptors. In fact, it can be argued that Carter singlehandedly made the NBA a thing in Canada.
