Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler paid homage to Vince Carter with a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Ressler thanked Carter for being an “invaluable mentor” to Atlanta's young players in his two years with the team, also calling VC an “outstanding role model to our entire organization.”
Here's the ad:
.@ATLHawks Principal Owner Tony Ressler took out a full-page ad in Sunday's AJC paper thanking @mrvincecarter15 for spending the last two years of his "extraordinary career" with the team 🙌
(via @ajc) pic.twitter.com/MjX4oZmmHo
— ESPN (@espn) June 28, 2020
Carter formally announced his retirement this past week after playing a record 22 seasons in the NBA. He spent his last two years as a bench player for the Hawks, averaging 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds during that stint.
The 43-year-old made history at the turn of the decade, becoming the first NBA player to play a game in four decades. Carter also spent time with eight different teams over the course of his career.
While he might not have seen much of the floor in Atlanta, Carter was instrumental in supplying Atlanta's young roster with life lessons both on and off the court.




Hawks point guard Trae Young said the team even took to calling Carter “Yoda” after the famed Jedi Master from the “Star Wars” franchise:
"We call him Yoda… he can still play, but he has all the knowledge in the world." 😂@TheTraeYoung discusses having @mrvincecarter15 as a teammate during today's #NBATogether with Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ). pic.twitter.com/t1u2f6e6fx
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2020
Carter will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the finest players of his generation.
“Vinsanity” helped breathe life into a Toronto Raptors franchise just years after they joined the NBA as an expansion team, becoming one of the best scorers in the league and electrifying fans with his high-flying jams and acrobatics.
Carter had so much longevity in part due to his ability to transition from star to role player. He became a beloved teammate and mentor, including in his final years with the Hawks.