During a public event to highlight the refurbished Dixon Park basketball courts in Toronto, in front of fans, former and current Toronto Raptors players and guests, team president Masai Ujiri announced that the team would be retiring Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey. The moment was captured on social media by beat writer Esfandiar Baraheni.
“What you've done for the game,” Ujiri said. “The opportunities you gave all of us to really thrive in this game and grow. And continue to grow even bigger. On behalf of our organization, from top to bottom, the fans and everybody that represents what the Raptors are. Our organization is retiring your jersey at Scotiabank Arena, and we do it with great pride and great honor. On behalf of all of us, we say congratulations, Vince.”
As Carter was receiving the news, he could be seen wiping tears from his eyes. He later shared a message to fans expressing his gratitude.
“I was extremely grateful when the Raptors informed me of their plans to retire my jersey in November in the arena that gave me my start in the NBA and was the home of so many special memories for me,” Carter said. “I look forward to sharing that moment with my family, friends and the Toronto fans who made my time with the Raptors so memorable.”
Carter played in Toronto from 1998 to 2004.
Vince Carter's larger-than-life impact on the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were founded in 1995, but it's hard to remember the franchise without Vince Carter, who didn't arrive until 1998. The No. 5 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Carter was then traded to Toronto for Antawn Jamison. Although the season was cut short because of an owners' lockout, Carter was an instant-impact player who averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He was named Rookie of the Year and a NBA All-Rookie First Team member.
As if by fate, the Slam Dunk contest was canceled in 1998 and replaced by the WNBA-NBA 2Ball Competition and in 1999, the lockout-shortened season canceled the NBA All-Star Game. By the time the 2000 All-Star Weekend arrived, there was a vacuum surrounding the contest and everyone knew that Vince Carter was the odds-on favorite to dominate and put on a show.
He didn't disappoint.
In what will live forever as one of the most iconic slam dunk contest performances of all-time, Carter carried the night. The unforgettable moment of the night of Carter saying, “It's over, it's over” to the cameras after a between-the-legs dunk on a bounce pass from Tracy McGrady. It was a meme before any of us knew what a meme was.
Carter, also known as “Vinsanity,” played 22 seasons and will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.