Every time he left the league, the NBA searched for the next Michael Jordan. Jordan was such a pivotal figure in the success of the NBA that they were eager to find his success. After his departure in 1998, fans thought they had found the second coming of Michael Jordan – Vince Carter.
Vince Carter was a first-round pick who went to the Toronto Raptors. Much like Jordan, Carter was also a University of North Carolina alumni who could pull off incredible dunks during a game. The comparisons to MJ came quickly. And at one point, Carter was actually outpacing Jordan in his career.
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In Michael Jordan’s sophomore year, he averaged 22.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists. As for Carter, he averaged 25.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists. So Carter was actually outscoring Michael Jordan at the same stage in his career.
Being Compared To Michael Jordan Didn’t Help Vince Carter
It should be noted as impressive as Carter’s accomplishment was, it was not entirely fair to compare him with MJ at that stage. Jordan’s second season was marred with injury, and he only played 18 games that year. Whereas Carter was fully healthy, playing all 82 games for the Raptors.
Additionally, the comparisons to Michael Jordan would actually end up hurting Vince Carter’s career in the long run. Carter would have poor playoff performances with the Raptors, and fans would question why he was being compared to Michael Jordan, who was the greatest playoff performer of all time. MJ’s former head coach Phil Jackson slammed Carter, saying he didn’t have the ‘X factor’ to succeed.
Eventually, Carter’s career fizzled, and he was no longer the superstar that many expected him to become. The NBA would have to wait a few more years for their Jordan successor, as a young kid from Akron, Ohio, named LeBron James would enter the league in 2003, wearing the same number as Michael Jordan, and completely changed the game.
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