Former New Jersey Nets superstar Vince Carter made a homecoming of sorts Saturday. Carter made his YES Network debut as an analyst for the Brooklyn Nets' broadcast during the team's 124-97 win over the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center.
The future Hall-of-Famer, who ranks third on the Nets' all-time scoring list, received a warm ovation from the Brooklyn crowd after the team played a tribute video for him during the win.
The Nets played a tribute video for Vince Carter, who is on the call for his first game as a member of the YES broadcast.
VC received a warm ovation from the Brooklyn crowd. pic.twitter.com/7hTDCb3GHL
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 9, 2023
Carter played alongside current Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn with New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. Vaughn, who played for five different teams over twelve NBA seasons, ranked Carter highly among a long list of ex-teammates.
“I usually don't do the comparison thing or say give me your top five, but I’ll throw him in my top five all-time teammates, without a doubt,” Vaughn said. “He's an unbelievable human being; I love having him around, and boy, was he a heck of a player. It’s great to have him in the building, for me to see him at the the table tonight. He's a legend.”
Following his trade to New Jersey from the Toronto Raptors, Carter averaged 27.5 points for the Nets in 57 games to close the 2004-2005 season, the highest single-season scoring average in the franchise’s NBA era. The shooting guard/small forward finished his Nets tenure with three All-Star appearances, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals on 45/37/81 shooting splits over 374 appearances.
Vince Carter’s best plays with the Nets 😳 pic.twitter.com/tLQld4mGH7
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) July 19, 2020
“That's a legend right there, big-time,” said Nets forward Royce O'Neale. “Growing up watching him and then playing against him, just seeing the respect that he gets around the league. You just gotta look up to him.”
Carter will analyze “a small package of games” for YES this season, joining a rotation that includes Richard Jefferson and Sarah Kustok. The return also marks a Nets reunion for Carter and Jefferson, who played alongside one another in New Jersey for three seasons from 2005 to 2008.
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