Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important to us that the Toronto Raptors will be retiring the number 15 of Vince Carter.
The event will take place when the Raptors host Sacramento on November 2.
Carter joined the Raptors via a draft-day trade in 1998 and immediately brought eyeballs to the struggling expansion team. Carter easily won the Rookie of the Year, and the man christened “Half-Man Half-Amazing” electrified the league with his dunks and scoring acumen. He easily won the 2000 Slam Dunk competition and became one of the most known basketball players in the world.
From 1999-00 to 2003-04, Carter was a perennial All-Star and was a Third Team All-NBA selection in 99/00 and Second Team All-NBA in 2001. He averaged 23.4 Points per Game as a Raptor, but it was a very acrimonious departure from Toronto, as Carter became frustrated with team management, became a malcontent in 2004, and wanted out. He received his wish, but for the next ten years, Carter was the most hated man in Toronto, mercilessly booed with every appearance regardless of the team he was on. It softened eventually, especially after Toronto won the NBA Championship in 2019.
Carter becomes the first player to have his number retired by the Raptors. It is believed that the delay in this retirement might come from some higher-ups in Raptor management who thought that Kyle Lowry, who led them to their lone title in 2019, should be the first, but Carter put the team on the map.
This will be a special year for Carter, who will also have his number retired by the Nets this year. On October 13, he will headline the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Vince Carter for his impending honor.
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