Vince Carter was enshrined in history tonight, as he was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. During his speech, Carter seemed to confirm that he would be joining the Hall of Fame under the banner of the Toronto Raptors, despite their controversial history together.
“Thank you for that opportunity for 6 years, and it all started there. I had some memorable moments with that organization that created Vincanity. Which is why, without a doubt, I’m going into the Hall of Fame as a Raptor.”
He also spoke about his interactions with Kyle Lowry, who many believe to be the greatest Raptor of all time, and how a kind gesture from Lowry when the Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship made him feel like part of the organization again.
“To my friend, Kyle Lowry, not only are you one of my golfing buddies, but you made an unbelievable gesture to me when the Raptors won a championship, I’m walking off the court.”
“Kyle is getting ready to do an interview. He stands up, walks over to me, and says ‘Hey man, come sit down and do the interview with me’. I humbly declined, but that just shows the kind of person he is, and I’m truly thankful for that opportunity. Obviously, being part of that Raptors’ history and organization, he felt inclined to ask me and wanted me to be a part of that. Thank you, Kyle, for that.”
Carter also spoke about the relationship he shared with Tracy McGrady, how he found out they were cousins, and how McGrady was always there for him on the Raptors, including making sure that Carter got drafted by the Raptors.
“Ever since we found out that we were cousins, and I’m sure you’ve heard that story before, it’s been nothing but support, a shoulder to lean on, and it made sense. The day we found out we were cousins, I got that phone call from my grandmother’s phone, and he said ‘Cuz, I’m going to make sure the Raptors draft you. I got you’. Here we are today, it made sense. And I thank you.”
To close out his speech, Carter acknowledged his fellow inductees into the Hall of Fame and noted that going forward, everyone must acknowledge all of them with the term ‘Hall of Famers’.
“The one thing I am proud to say; first and foremost, congratulations to everyone up here. Truly inspired by everything you guys had to say and do. Guess what, y’all? From now on, they don’t just say your first and last name without saying ‘Hall of Famer’. “
Carter’s induction into the Hall of Fame was a long time coming, and many notable dignitaries were in attendance. Michael Jordan, someone who Carter was compared to frequently due to their links to the University of North Carolina, was in attendance and congratulated Carter on his big moment too.
Carter can now look forward to his jersey retirement with the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets in the future. Despite his controversial history with the Raptors, Carter does deserve the honor, as he was the star who helped put the franchise on the map and bring them to prominence in the NBA.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
