On Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that both Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups will be elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with the two highlighting the 2024 class of inductees. The two are well-deserving of the honor — and Magic Johnson certainly agrees.
Posting on his official Twitter (X) account, the Los Angeles Lakers legend congratulated the two on their latest career milestone; Johnson honored Carter by uploading a video showing some of the best and most memorable moments that made him one of the most impactful players the league has ever seen.
“Congratulations to Vince Carter, aka Vinsanity, for being elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame! Vince is one of the most unstoppable players that’s ever played the game, with dunks in a class of their own! I had to post a few so y’all could see for yourselves!🔥 @mrvincecarter15,” Johnson wrote.
Congratulations to Vince Carter, aka Vinsanity, for being elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame! Vince is one of the most unstoppable players that’s ever played the game, with dunks in a class of their own! I had to post a few so y’all could see for yourselves!🔥… pic.twitter.com/2HAOTzYzvT
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 4, 2024
Magic Johnson gave Chauncey Billups his flowers as well; Johnson honored Billups for bringing an NBA championship to his home state of Michigan, although it did come at the expense of his beloved Lakers when the underdog Detroit Pistons took them down in five games in the 2004 NBA Finals.
“Chauncey Billups, congratulations on being elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame! I'm especially happy for you because of what you did for the state of Michigan, leading the Pistons to a NBA Championship in 2004 (even though you broke my heart by doing it against my Lakers)! 😂 @1MrBigShot,” Johnson added.
Vince Carter: Half Man, Half Amazing
Today's generation of NBA fans remember Vince Carter as the mostly ground-bound, 3-and-D wing who played supporting roles in mid-tier playoff teams of the early to mid-2010s such as the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies. Carter also ended his career on a rather uninspiring note with stints with the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.
But in his heyday, there might not have been a player who drew more eyeballs to the television than Carter did. Back in the prime years of his career with the Toronto Raptors, Carter was good for multiple jaw-dropping dunks per game, as it was simply unfathomable how much more athletic he was than 99 percent of his peers.
Vinsanity fever swept the nation when he blossomed into a superstar with the Raptors, although he soured his reputation among fans with the controversial way he received his trade demand when he was sent to the New Jersey Nets. It took a while before Carter repaired his public perception, especially among Raptors fans.
In the end, Carter is a very deserving Hall of Fame inductee. He finished his career with 25,728 points, which has him ranked 24th on the all-time leaderboards. He was a seven-time All-Star and he made the All-NBA Second Team and Third Team one time each.
Chauncey Billups, a late-blooming, stone-cold killer in the clutch
The current head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups had to overcome plenty of doubters en route to becoming a Hall of Famer. Four teams gave up on Billups early in his career before the Pistons took him in and handed him the reins to their offense.
Billups immediately showed that he belonged on the grandest stage in his first season with the Pistons, leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003. And then in 2004, “Mr. Big Shot” was born after Billups led an unheralded Pistons team to an NBA championship, defeating a Lakers team that had four Hall of Famers in the starting lineup.
But the adversity did not end there; the Pistons eventually gave up on Billups, sending him to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson. That was a big mistake; Billups was still playing at a high level and Iverson declined steeply soon thereafter. Billups even helped lead the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.
He eventually succumbed to injury problems later on in his career, but that shouldn't put a damper on his legacy as one of the best 3-and-D playmaking guards with the clutch gene.
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