Atlanta Hawks swingman Vince Carter made history on Thursday, overtaking Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki to move up to third all-time in games played. Carter suited up for his 1,523th game in the Hawks hosting of the Philadelphia 76ers at the State Farm Arena.
Congrats to @mrvincecarter15 of the @ATLHawks for moving up to 3rd on the all-time GAMES PLAYED list. pic.twitter.com/yim3pK9NGq
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2020
Currently, the oldest player in the league at 43 years old, Vince Carter is playing in his 22nd and final NBA season. He is the only player in league history to play in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).
Up next on the list for Vinsanity is the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 1,560 games throughout his 20-year career.
Vince Carter has been making the most of his final season, suiting up in 41 of the Hawks' first 48 games. Carter will not be able to break Kareem's record since he still needs 38 more games to move up to the second spot.
Atlanta only has 33 games remaining and likely won't reach the postseason as they are currently dead last in the Eastern Conference with a 12-36 slate.
Boston Celtics icon Robert Parish's record, meanwhile, still remains out of reach. The Chief played in 1,611 games in just 20 seasons.
Vince Carter will end his career without ever making to the NBA Finals. Still, the player is once known as “Air Canada” will always be remembered for the high-flying, aerial assault in the 2000s. Carter is averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist in 15 minutes off the Hawks' bench this season.
He is knocking down 34 percent of his attempts from the field and 28.8 from downtown.
Carter could have easily joined a contender in a bid to go out with a championship ring in hand. Instead, he chose to maximize his remaining time on the floor and took young players under his wing.
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