Vince Carter
Teams
Toronto Raptors - 1998-04
New Jersey Nets - 2004-09
Orlando Magic - 2009-10
Phoenix Suns - 2010-11
Dallas Mavericks - 2011-14
Memphis Grizzlies - 2014-17
Sacramento Kings - 2017-18
Atlanta Hawks - 2018-20
Playoffs
Appearances - 11 (2000,2001,2005,2006,2007,2010,2012,2014,2015,2016,2017)
Conference Finals - 1 (2010)
NBA Finals - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Rookie of the Year - 1999
All-NBA Second Team - 1 (2001)
All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2000)
*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)
All-Time Ranks
Three Pointers Made - #6
Total Points - #22
Total Steals - #45
Total Assists - #78
League Leads
Total Points (#2-2000, #4-2007, #5-2001)
Points Per Game (#4-2000, #5-2001)
After leading North Carolina to the Final Four twice in a row, Vince Carter and his teammate Antawn Jamison entered the NBA Draft, where they were selected by Golden State and Toronto before being traded for each other, with Carter landing in Toronto, where he joined his cousin, Tracy McGrady, who had been picked by the Raptors the year before.
The start of Carter's NBA career was a whirlwind, as he averaged 18.3 points per game on his way to the Rookie of the Year award, then followed that up by averaging 25.7 per game in his second season, good for #4 in the league. He made the All-NBA Third Team that year and won one of the most memorable Slam Dunk contests in history as well, then joined the Olympic team and won a gold medal after the season, throwing down the greatest Olympic dunk of all time in the process.
He continued his rise in 2001, scoring a career-high 27.6 points per game, making the All-NBA Second Team, and leading the Raptors to their first-ever playoff series victory. He signed a big contract extension after the season, but knee and hamstring problems caused him to miss large chunks of the next 2 seasons, resulting in early playoff exits or missing the postseason altogether.
The Raptors decided to start rebuilding in 2004, and Carter didn't trust team management to make the right moves to get the team back to the playoffs. He was traded to New Jersey early in that season, where he had many of his best years. He missed only 11 games during 4 full seasons with the Nets, and made 3 straight playoff appearances, including his personal-best 2006 playoff run, when he averaged 29.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists before losing in the second round.
After 4 and a half seasons with the Nets, Carter was traded to the Orlando Magic, who had just lost in the NBA Finals and were hoping Carter would be the piece to push them over the top. At that point, Carter had averaged over 20 points per game in 10 straight seasons, but he would never reach that level again. The Magic, led by Dwight Howard, reached the Conference Finals that season, but it would be the deepest playoff run of Carter's career.
Carter's time as a superstar was over, but he still had a lot of basketball to play. He was a starter for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks over the next couple of years, then took a bench role for most of the remainder of his career. For a couple of years with the Mavericks he was the first man off the bench, and then he spent time with Memphis, Sacramento, and Atlanta, where he served in more of a mentor role to younger players.
Carter holds the NBA record for seasons played with 22, and is the only player to appear in a game in 4 different decades. During his final season, he had 4 teammates who were not even born when Carter was drafted, and he finished his career with the third most games played of all time. He is also #6 in 3-pointers made and #22 in points scored.
Carter is one of the few players who was able to make a smooth transition from being a star player to sidekick to role player, which allowed him to have such a lengthy career. He may be best remembered for his thunderous dunks during his time with Toronto, but he became an even better player with New Jersey when he became more of an all-around player, and there is no doubt that he deserves to be mentioned among the greatest players of all time.
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