Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter will have his No. 15 jersey retired by the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, the first time the NBA team has honoured a former player in this way.
Here's a timeline of significant dates in Carter's career:
May 1, 1998: Carter declares for the upcoming NBA Draft after three seasons with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
June 24, 1998: The Golden State Warriors draft Carter fifth overall but immediately trade him to the Toronto Raptors for Antawn Jamison, the No. 4 pick, his Tar Heels teammate.
Feb. 5, 1999: A lockout shortened the NBA season so Carter didn't make his pro debut until February, but when he did he had an immediate impact with his highlight-reel dunks earning him the nickname "Air Canada." He won rookie of the year honours after averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, three assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
Feb. 13, 2000: Carter ascends to superstardom at NBA All-Star with arguably the greatest performance in the history of the league's slam dunk competition. He won with a reverse 360 degree windmill dunk, a between-the-legs bounce dunk, and an "elbow in the rim" dunk. He made all of his jams on the first try without any errors.
April 23, 2000: Carter leads the Raptors to their first-ever post-season berth. He averaged 25.7 points per game in the regular season but Toronto was swept by the New York Knicks 3-0 in the best-of-five series.
May 20, 2001: Carter missed a potentially game-winning shot with two seconds left to play in Game 7 of Toronto's second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. He drew some criticism from fans and media for attending his college graduation earlier that day after completing a degree in Afro-American Studies.
Aug. 4, 2001: Carter signed a six-year contract extension worth as much as US$94 million.
2001-02 season: Knee issues started to nag Carter and he missed the final 22 games of the regular season as well as Toronto's first-round playoff series with the Detroit Pistons. He had off-season knee surgery to try and repair the damage.
Feb. 9, 2003: Although the leading vote-getter, Carter is widely criticized for not stepping aside to allow Michael Jordan to be in the Eastern Conference's starting lineup for his final all-star game. Carter gave up his spot to Jordan minutes before tip-off, allowing the all-time great to start in the all-star game in his retirement year.
Dec. 17, 2004: General manager Glen Grunwald, who traded for Carter on his draft night, and the entire Raptors coaching staff were fired during the off-season. New GM Rob Babcock trades Carter to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams and two first round draft picks after weeks of speculation.
Jan. 4, 2020: Carter checks into the game for the Atlanta Hawks — his eighth NBA team — during a 116—111 win over the Indiana Pacers. The appearance makes him the only player in NBA history to have played in four different decades.
March 11, 2020: Carter returned to the floor in the final seconds of a game against the New York Knicks, making a three-pointer. It becomes his final NBA game after the league suspends the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 25, 2020: Carter officially retires from the NBA at the age of 43.
April 6, 2024: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., announces that Carter will be enshrined on Oct. 12.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press