The Toronto Raptors are set to retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 on Saturday night, making him the first player to ever receive the honour from the franchise. The ceremony will happen at halftime of the Raptors’ game against the Sacramento Kings, one of the seven franchises he played for following his initial six-plus seasons in Toronto.
While Carter’s career lasted a league-record 22 seasons and featured several high points after his departure from Toronto, his time in Canada produced the most memorable moments, including what is considered to be one of the best performances in the league’s Slam Dunk Contest, at All-Star weekend in 2000 in Oakland, Calif.
As a Raptor, Carter won Rookie of the Year in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, also being named an All-Star five times. Carter received the most votes from the fans for the event multiple times. He played 403 regular season games and 15 playoff games for the Raptors, leading them to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2001, the furthest the team advanced in the playoffs until 2016.
However, Carter’s time in Toronto was complicated, starting with that playoff run, when he attended his graduation at the University of North Carolina earlier on the day of Game 7 of the series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Carter had an off night and missed what would have been the game-winning shot as time expired.
Carter’s final three-plus seasons in Toronto were defined by injuries and disappointment, eventually leading to a trade to the New Jersey Nets in December 2004. Shortly after the trade, Carter told TNT that he didn’t always push himself as hard as he should have in Toronto. He was booed vociferously for nearly a decade before those boos turned to cheers as the club recognized him during his return with the Memphis Grizzlies during the team’s 20th season. This is the Raptors’ 30th season.
“To be honest with you, this is what I wanted more than anything,” Carter said of his formal reconnection with his first NBA team at the introduction of a refurbished court named after him last month. “I had six crazy years here, period. And for those who know me … you know my love. It’s just hard to articulate it.”
Carter is scheduled to speak to the media about three hours before the scheduled tip off (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time) of the game. In October, Carter was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
There was a debate about whether the Raptors should retire Carter’s jersey, especially before that of Kyle Lowry, the long-time Raptor who helped the franchise win its only NBA championship. Lowry is still playing in the NBA, though. Lowry, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, said last week that he thought Carter was deserving of the recognition from the Raptors.
The Brooklyn Nets announced earlier in September that they will retire Carter’s number, too, on Jan. 25, 2025 in a game against the Miami Heat. According to Carter, he asked the Nets to not hold the ceremony too early in the season, giving the Raptors the chance to honour him first if that’s what they chose.
Carter’s lack of accountability for his play and behaviour leading up to the trade has been a big sticking point for Raptors fans who don’t think Carter’s number should be retired.“Let’s come together for a change,” Carter said in November, adding “That’s fair,” when asked about fans who didn’t think he deserved the jersey retirement. “We have a great opportunity. This is something that’s never happened before (for the Raptors). So let’s celebrate it more so than turn our nose up at it and have your views of it, because it’s never happened before. I’m just truly thankful to be a part of it.”
The Raptors will be wearing the black-and-purple jerseys that they wore for most of Carter’s time in Toronto against the Kings. In a nice bit of symmetry, DeMar DeRozan, who holds many Raptors franchise records that Carter once held, plays for the Kings.
Carter ranks fourth in points (9,420) and first in points per game (23.4) in franchise history. His 2000-01 season, when he averaged 27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game is widely considered to be the greatest single season by any Raptor, ranking first in points per game, and first in player efficiency rating (25.0) and win shares (12.9), among other advanced statistics.
(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn / Allsport)
