If Inducted, Vince Carter Is Going to Rock A Raptors Jersey
Vincesanity says he would represent Toronto in Springfield.
Vince Carter did not leave Toronto on good terms back in 2004.
He complained for months about the Raptors’ direction and demanded a trade. But then-General Manager, Rob Babcock, refused to trade the multi-time All-Star because Carter was “under contract.”
“He’s under contract with our team,” Babcock said. “We expect him to fulfill all obligations of the contract.”
So, instead of being a professional and continuing to play hard for the team and the fans every night, Carter performed at half of his ability.
In 20 games with the Raptors at the beginning of the 2004–05 season, he averaged 15.9 points on 41 percent shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Carter’s displeasure with the team was noticed and Babcock eventually traded him to the New Jersey Nets in December, when he somehow regained all of his superstar attributes.
In 57 games with the Nets, he averaged 27.5 points on 46 percent shooting, 5.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
Raptors fans were not pleased with this flip. They booed him every single time he came back to Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) for years.
But like everything in life, the anger fizzled out and the organization and the fans started to be grateful for the things Carter did for the team (i.e. the dunk contest) and basketball in Canada.
And surprisingly, he doesn’t hold any grudges against them, despite everything that went down.
As a matter of fact, he wants to represent the Toronto Raptors if he gets inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later this year. He’s currently a finalist for the class of 2024, which will be announced on April 6.
“Toronto, Toronto, Toronto,” Carter answered on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” podcast when asked which jersey he would wear to the ceremony. “I mean, it has to be. It’s where it started. Yes, I had great years in Jersey, but it started there. My confidence and understanding of the player that I could be in the league was trending upwards still in Toronto.”
Final Thoughts
Carter did a lot for the Toronto Raptors and basketball in Canada.
If it weren’t for his talent and subsequently the success of the team, the Raptors would have most likely been sold and moved to an American city, much like what happened to the Vancouver Grizzlies.
And if that were to happen, Canada would most likely not have developed players such as Andrew Wiggins, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Thus, Carter’s influence on basketball in Toronto and Canada have been huge.
Which leads me to this question: when are the Raptors going to retire his no. 15?
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