Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Vince Carter spoke to Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report recently about his career. When asked by Rooks whether he had any regrets about his tumultuous departure from the Raptors in 2004, Carter said he didn’t handle anything the wrong way and had promised himself he would not be a locker-room problem for the franchise.
“I just feel like I handled everything the correct way. I had conversations with people, and I made a decision that we’re seeing now to the 20th power. There’s so many things behind the scenes that now, it is what it is, you know, it was perceived to make me look like this and that and I just go back to my same question.”
“The disappointing thing more than anything is y’all know me. You know how much I love this game. You see the smile. Basketball was everything. It gave me every opportunity — every opportunity that I have today — and I’m thankful for it. I just didn’t understand it. I thought it all through. I had the conversations with my agents and the organization.”
“So because my conversation was, they were ready to transition into a new guy, Chris Bosh, I said, ‘If you guys don’t need me that’s fine.’ But one thing I wasn’t going to be is a locker room problem, and I think that’s what they were looking for. That’s not my style, particularly after just telling you, like, wanting to help other guys and drop gems on them…It’s not me. It’s like, locker room problem? No, no, no, no. More so I’m like, ‘I want to play ball, that’s it. That’s it.’”
(From 50:00).
Carter doesn’t seem to think he put a foot wrong in the situation with the Raptors. In his defense, Carter has maintained this stance for the last 20 years and has never wavered. And for him, while he may have disappointed the fans of the Raptors who loved and supported him, he did things the right way.
Vince Carter Was The First Raptors Superstar
Vince Carter was drafted fifth overall by the Warriors in the 1998 NBA Draft, before being traded to the Raptors in exchange for Antawn Jamison, whom the Raptors had drafted with the fourth pick. Carter went on to become their central figure, winning Rookie of the Year and playing some great basketball.
The following year, Carter was named an All-Star for the very first time and was invited to take part in the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest. Carter’s performance in the contest is regarded as the best in history to this day and is the gold standard for any great dunk contest participant.
After becoming a perennial All-Star with the Raptors for the next few years, Carter would experience consistent playoff heartbreak over the next few years. His seeming lack of dedication to basketball would alienate Raptor fans at times, but they still loved him. However, once he made the decision to leave, the franchise supporters turned on him. Carter was traded to the Nets in December 2004, making him the most hated player by Raptor fans.
Carter was still incredibly important to the franchise, as he became the first superstar in the young franchise’s history. During his seven seasons with the Raptors, he averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, and turned them into a playoff team.
Carter went on to have the longest NBA career in history, playing 22 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2020. In the same interview, Carter also spoke about how Kobe Bryant helped him accept and embrace retirement, something he struggled with for years.
Long after he left the Raptors, he and the franchise were able to make amends, and he is shown love and respect by the fanbase whenever he is in town. However, the franchise has yet to retire his jersey. Perhaps with his upcoming Hall of Fame induction, the Raptors will honor their first-ever superstar.
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