Vince Carter has decided to hang it up after an astonishing 22-years in the NBA. As a shooting guard and small forward, Carter will go down as one of the greatest dunkers of all time and a certain Hall of Famer when you consider his longevity and the impact he had had on the game.
Carter never won an NBA title but had a career that included 8 All-Star appearances, 2 All-NBA team selections, and also a Rookie of the Year Which he won in 1998 after he averaged 18.3 PPG for the Toronto Raptors. He ended his career with a career average of 16.7 PPG, including his best season with the Raptors when he averaged 27.6 PPG. Carter is one of the most popular players in history, and he will surely be missed.
Here are the greatest moments in the legendary career of Vince Carter.
5. Putting Toronto On The Map
While many think of Chris Bosh and more recently Kawhi Leonard whenever they think about the Toronto Raptors, it was Vince Carter who put them on the map. After getting drafted by Toronto, Carter immediately took off in his first season by averaging 18.3 PPG and winning the Rookie of the Year Award.
Carter would improve the following season, making his first of 8 straight All-Star teams. Carter would have his best season in his third year by averaging 27.6 PPG and becoming the superstar that Toronto would have never dreamed they would get. Carter’s impact in Toronto will be forever cherished because he brought unlimited excitement to the city every night and made a rather forgotten franchise alive again.
4. Carter’s Career-High 51 Points against the Phoenix Suns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FOs2FuZKTc
Vinsanity had quite the season in 2000 because some iconic moments happened during that year. But one of those was Carter’s 51-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns at home. Donning the Raptor’s jersey, Carter would go berserk offensively dropping 51 on 17-32 shooting. Of course, the Raptors won the game by only one point by defeating the Suns 103-102.
What was even more impressive was that this was Toronto’s first nationally televised game, so Carter announced his arrival to the world and made it clear that there was more to come. And more certainly came.
3. Vince Carter’s Record-Breaking 50-Point Performance in the 2001 Playoffs
In-Game 3 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Carter and the Raptors hosted a sold-out 13,000 fan arena with a chance to go up 2-1 in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers led by Allen Iverson and defensive stalwart Dikembe Mutombo.
Carter would lose his mind in this game, dropping 50 points including 8 three-pointers in the first half. This broke an NBA record and is still one of the most amazing playoff performances of all-time. Carter loved the moment to show his talents, and this was certainly one of them. Carter led the Raptors to a massive 102-78 victory as he outdueled the MVP Allen Iverson to put the icing on the cake to a historic performance.
2. Carter’s Legendary 2000 Dunk Contest Victory
Carter made himself known on Toronto’s first televised game by dropping a career-high 51points, Carter also had possibly the best Dunk Contest victory in history in the same year. Carter competed against the likes of Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, Steve Francis, and Larry Hughes. Carter would absolutely take over this contest, shocking all the judges and the crowds with an array of dunks including an unbelievable 360° Windmill Slam. Carter won the contest and pretty much solidified himself as one of the greatest power dunkers that had a grace and style that he only had.
VC earned the moniker “Half-Man Half Amazing” because he could do things in the air that players can only dream of doing. Carter’s Legendary contest is still viewed by people all over the world again and again, and he made it clear that he will be the man to go down in history as the best dunker who ever lived.
1. His Legendary Dunk Over A 7-Footer In The Olympics
Poor Frederic Weis. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Carter had the ball inside half-court and proceeded to throw down quite possibly the most incredible dunk anyone will ever see. In one hop, Carter managed to cup the ball and literally jump over the 7-foot tall center to flush down a vicious dunk.
Out of all the dunks in Carter’s Legendary career, this one is by far the greatest. The French media dubbed this “The Dunk Of Death”, which is quite fitting because Weis will be on the most ridiculous poster in history.
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