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Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played power forward later in his NBA career. An eight-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Team selection, he played a record 22 seasons in the NBA, tied with LeBron James for the most seasons played in league history.[1] He is also the only player to have played in the NBA in four different decades.[2][3] In 2024, Carter was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[4]
Carter entertained crowds with his leaping ability and slam dunks, earning him nicknames such as "Vinsanity", "Air Canada" (a play on the Canadian airline of the same name), and "Half Man, Half Amazing".[a] He has been ranked as the greatest dunker of all time by numerous players, journalists, and by the National Basketball Association (NBA).[5][6][7][8] His Dunk of Death against France during the 2000 Summer Olympics is widely considered one of the greatest and most famous of all-time.
In addition to his dunking prowess, Carter was a prolific three-point shooter, making the ninth most three-point field goals in league history.[9] Various contemporaries have called him the league's "most gifted/talented" player.[10]
A high school McDonald's All-American, Carter played college basketball for three years with the North Carolina Tar Heels and twice advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, who traded him to the Toronto Raptors. Carter emerged as a global star in Toronto, winning the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend. He represented the United States in the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he led the team in scoring and captured a gold medal. In December 2004, Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he continued his offensive success. He also played for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. He received the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in 2016. Off the court, Carter established the Embassy of Hope Foundation, helping children and their families in Florida, New Jersey and Ontario. He was recognized in 2000 as Child Advocate of the Year by the Children's Home Society, and received the Florida Governor's Points of Light award in 2007 for his philanthropy in his home state. Carter was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
- ^ McGregor, Gilbert (October 22, 2024). "Most seasons in the NBA: How LeBron James will make history with 2024 Lakers debut". The Sporting News. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Richard Jefferson Says Vince Carter Was More Talented Than LeBron James: "To Me, He Is The Most Talented Player I Have Ever Seen In My Life."". MSN.com.
- ^ "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 13 inductees for Class of 2024". NBA.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Ojeda, Louis. "NBA's greatest dunker of all time". FOXSports.com.
- ^ Bitanga, Mike (February 11, 2014). "Vince Carter: The Greatest Dunkers of All Time". hardwoodandhollywood.com.
- ^ Walsh, Mike. "Re-Ranking the NBA's Best Dunkers of All Time". BleacherReport.com.
- ^ "Ranking Top 10 Dunkers in NBA History". NBA.com.
- ^ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for 3-Pt Field Goals". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ "Matt Barnes says Vince Carter was the most gifted player he's ever seen: "He could shoot jump shots with his left hand and looks like his right hand"". April 8, 2024.
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