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NBA legend Vince Carter was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame after a phenomenal career with the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks and others. But, despite an NBA career that lasted 22 seasons, Carter wasn't sure how retirement was going to go.
Speaking with TNT's Taylor Rooks, Carter revealed that it was Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant that convinced him all would be okay.
“I struggled with the word retiring… I asked him about that word. How is it? He said, ‘It is the greatest thing ever, it's the best feeling. You're gonna enjoy it.'”
Vince Carter on a talk he had with Kobe Bryant before retirement.
(via @TaylorRooks)pic.twitter.com/tumE1Vw2qQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 30, 2024
“I struggled with the word retiring… I asked him about that word. How is it? He said, ‘It is the greatest thing ever, it's the best feeling. You're gonna enjoy it,'” Carter shared.
When asked what he hopes people remember his career for, Carter didn't mention anything about fancy dunks and highlights. Instead, “Vinsanity” touched on his love for the game.
“That I love to play. And more than anything, it wasn't about the numbers. I was asked five years prior to retiring, ‘Why are you still playing? You know you're killing your (scoring) average.' I said ‘But I still love to play,' and that's what mattered,” he added.
Vince Carter entering Hall of Fame after incredible NBA career
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Vince Carter was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the fifth pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he established himself as a marquee name in the basketball world. Carter was an eight-time NBA All-Star and had a memorable performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest that won him the competition.
Carter was known for his overpowering athleticism and flashy dunks. In addition to his NBA career, he was a member of the 2000 Team USA Olympic basketball team that won gold in Sydney. There, he completed one of the most famous dunks of all time and arguably the best slam of his career over 7'2″ Frédéric Weis. The slam is affectionately called the “Dunk of Death.”
Carter retired as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in 2020 after playing in the NBA for 22 years. He finished his career with averages of 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Overall, he scored 25,728 points in his career.
Carter is also having his number 15 retired by the Nets next season. He will join Jason Kidd (5), Bill Melchionni (25), Julius Erving (32), John Williamson (23), Buck Williams (52) and Drazen Petrovic (3) in the rafters at Barclays Center.
The eight-time All-Star played five seasons with New Jersey from 2005 to 2009. He scored 27.5 points per game in his first year with the team, the highest single-season scoring average in the franchise’s NBA era. Carter finished his Nets tenure averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals on 45/37/81 shooting splits over 374 appearances.
