Getty Atlanta Hawks Vince Carter against San Antonio Spurs
Earlier this year, Atlanta Hawks guard Vince Carter announced that the 2019-20 season, his record-breaking 22nd year in the NBA, will also be his last. Carter made the announcement on ESPN’s The Jump.
“I just think that after next season, it is time,” he said on ESPN’s ‘The Jump.’ “It’s been great.”
Chris Montano of House of Highlights tweeted out a video from the show featuring Carter’s announcement.
Magic Forward Aaron Gordon Weighs in on Carter’s Retirement
Last week in an exclusive interview with Fanatics View, Aaron Gordon expressed his sadness that Carter decided to call it a career once the season concludes.
“He’s one of those guys you wish who could just play forever,” Gordon revealed. “22 seasons is no joke, so it is a testament how good of a pro he is; it makes me sad to see him go. He is a legend.”
Fox Sports Southwest’s NBA Analyst Cedric Ceballos Talks Carter ‘s Retirement
Last month, Before the Dallas Mavericks’ home opener against the Washington Wizards, I interviewed Cedric Ceballos and asked him to share his thoughts on Carter’s decision to hang it up at the end of the season.
“Don’t do it, Vince, keep going,” said Cedric Ceballos.” His last years, I thought he should have been on a contender instead of teams that are rebuilding and teaching them the knowledge, which is great for the game of basketball, but he is a liable piece even in his 22nd year in the league. 15 minutes of good basketball is still in him, and [Carter] can still make a difference during the game.”
Carter Hasn’t Reached out to Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki or Kobe Bryant for Farewell Tour Advice
Two weeks ago, Carter was interviewed by NBA.com’s Khari Arnold and shared that he hadn’t talked to ex-NBA players Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki or Kobe Bryant about his upcoming farewell tour yet.
“Nah, not yet. I plan on talking to some of my guys when I see them. But honestly, I’m just approaching it as another year. It’s still my job. I can probably honestly say whenever it’s over, I’ll be like,” said Carter.
“Dang, I wish I valued or cherished it more,” but at the same time, I am valuing it and cherishing it because I’m doing what I love in the moment. That’s what I love doing. It’s kind of easy to approach it that way just because that’s what I enjoy, Carter said.
Carter would end his interview with Arnold by sharing what he wanted the NBA community to remember him for after his 22 seasons in the league.
“I love to play. I love to play. People ask, “Why are you doing this, why are you doing that?” Because I love playing. If I didn’t love this anymore — stuff like drills and all that — then I wouldn’t do it. I just love to play. Obviously, you saw the smiles and me having fun as a young guy when I came into the league. At 42, nothing’s changed. Still, love to play. Still, love to be here. I’m playing with a young team that’s probably not going to win a championship this year, but I still love to play and compete. I enjoy it,” said Carter.
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