Basketball may be a team game, but it depends as much on the quality of the biggest superstars as it does on the rest of the team. The game’s greatest players have been able to function as the fulcrum for sustained success for their teams. And having the right teammates was what took them to the next level, turning successful regular seasons into championships and dynasties.
Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had each other, and Magic Johnson had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But there are superstars who, in their primes, didn’t have the help that would have seen them reach all-time great status. Vince Carter is an excellent example of this. Prime Vince wasn’t blessed with teammates near his level to carry his team to any championships.
This always leads to discussions about how teams would have performed if they managed to get a second star for their superstars. And speculation about who the ideal player would be next to a legend is a favorite conversation with the NBA fandom. Even the best sometimes indulge themselves in these thoughts, Larry Bird would have picked LeBron James or Kobe Bryant as his ideal teammate, for example. But as far as Vince Carter was concerned, there was only one real answer.
Vince Carter Didn’t Hesitate To Choose Michael Jordan As The Player He Would Love To Play With The Most
Across eras, some stars would mesh well with one another. And then some would elevate any team they were on, like Michael Jordan. So when asked which player he would like to team up with the most on ESPN’s The Jump in 2018, Vince Carter chose none other than MJ.
“I’ still gonna play with MJ. 91. He was passing. I mean, there again, you knew you were going to the Finals. MJ is MJ, but it’s just the opportunity and he made guys better. He’s gonna make you better. I like playing with guys who can dominate the game but make the others around them better. Not that the other guys didn’t do that.”
Michael Jordan may not have been everyone’s cup of tea as a teammate, but his track record of success is unmatched. The GOAT had some legendary co-stars on that Bulls team, but he was the lynchpin for all of their 90s success. And for Carter, who shows great respect as well as great love to Michael Jordan, it seems he is the player he would like to play with the most.
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