Vince Carter’s time in Toronto is remembered in a myriad of different ways. But one of the players he got to play with during his time there with was Muggsy Bogues. Bogues is one of the most fondly remembered players in NBA history. At a diminutive 5’3, Bogues is one of the smallest players in NBA history. But despite his size, Bogues was able to find success in the NBA as a point guard.
Bogues and Carter played together in Toronto when it seemed both Carter and the franchise were on the come-up together. Carter clearly learned a lot from playing with Muggsy Bogues. Bogues was a player who taught Carter to be very aware, as he explained during a recent Team USA Olympic game.
During a broadcast of a Team USA Olympic game, Vince Carter revealed that during his time with the Toronto Raptors that they had a special ‘Muggsy Bogues’ rule during practice. If the team had the ball and were going on the offensive, and they couldn’t see Muggsy Bogues anywhere around them, they should pick the ball up in their hands because he is coming to steal it at any point.
Vince Carter, during USA/CZE broadcast: “We had a Muggsy Bogues rule. if you dont see him on the court, pick the ball up because that means he’s right behind you and about to steal it.” 🤣
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 31, 2021
“We had a Muggsy Bogues rule. When you dribble the ball and you don’t see Muggsy Bogues, you probably should pick it up because he’s behind you and about to steal it.”
This is because Bogues was one of the best defenders in the NBA during his career. Because of his diminutive stature, Bogues was adept at stealing the ball from the opposition and launching his own team into a fast break. The rule was put in place to keep the team fully aware of their surroundings because they would have to bring that focus during games where opposition teams would be looking to steal the ball away from them. Clearly, Bogues was a respected figure in the Raptors team, as they would all have to look out for him and make sure they didn’t get caught by his excellent defensive play.
