Getty Raptors Vince Carter against the Cavs
The 2019-20 season will be the last for Hawks guard Vince Carter. Carter made the announcement on ESPN’s The Jump this past summer.
“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.
Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon shared earlier this year that Vince is one of those guys you wish could play forever.
“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.”
Carter was selected fifth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by Golden State Warriors and then traded to the Toronto Raptors for his college teammate Antawn Jamison. He is in his record-breaking 22nd season in the NBA as a member of the Atlanta Hawks that is built around second-year guard Trae Young. Carter was brought back this past off-season to continue to provide veteran leadership in the Hawks locker room and mentor its young players.
Last season during an interview with USA Today’s Dan Wolken, Carter shared that “I want these guys to understand their importance,” Carter told USA Today.
“This is the foundation of what you want to be a part of in a couple years. So, OK, after two weeks maybe we lost four in a row. Are you tired of losing? Let’s fix the problem. Let’s fix our approach. Let’s go a little harder, whatever the case may be, that’s what we’re trying to change, which will hopefully roll over.”
One of Carter’s memorable highlights of his Hall of Fame career was back during the 2000 Dunk contest in Oakland, California.
Reporter Shares Story About Carter Before the 2000 Dunk Contest
Raptors reporter Paul Jones was interviewed earlier this year by Fanatics View and revealed he interviewed Carter just minutes before the start of that dunk contest.
“So, 2000 was the year they brought the dunk contest back; it was the year after the lockout. The NBA was looking for a little sizzle and spice things up. I was covering the NBA All-Star Game for TSN as the courtside reporter for the Saturday, and the Raptors were well represented with McGrady and Carter. They were practicing under a cloak of secrecy back at the Air Canada practice gym, and Vince [Carter] was ready to do his thing. Everybody had seen what he had done during games,” said Jones.
“I interview him right before he went out, and for a guy with that flare and ability, he was… the interview was underwhelming. Vince was not – he didn’t seem like he was going to grab the dunk contest like he did.”
I said Vince this is kind of made for you and as humble as he was deferring to some of the great dunkers in the contest. [Tracy] McGrady, [Jerry] Stackhouse and [Steve] Frances and saying there are some great dunkers in the contest, let’s just go out there see what we can do. After the first dunk, when Isiah Thomas jumped over the table, and Kenny Smith was saying it’s over.”
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