Vince Carter will represent Raptors if he makes basketball hall of fame (2024)

Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors had a bad break up, but they will always be linked.

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Which is likely why Carter, who spent the first 6 1/2 seasons of his 22-year NBA career with the Raptors before a shocking trade, said this week he will represent the Raptors if he’s elected to basketball’s hall of fame in Springfield, Mass.

Carter, 47, was recently named a first-time finalist and could be a member of the class of 2024 if elected. Another ex-Raptor, Chauncey Billups, is also amongst the 13 finalists. The choices will be announced on April 6 with the enshrinement ceremony happening Aug. 17.

During an appearance on FanDuel’s ‘Run it Back’ podcast this week, Carter picked the Raptors when asked which jersey he’d wear to commemorate his career.

“Toronto, Toronto, Toronto,” Carter said. “I mean, it has to be. It’s where it started. Yes, I had great years in Jersey, but it started there. My confidence and understanding the player that I could be in the league was trending upwards still in Toronto.”

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Carter remains Toronto’s all-time leader in points per game, win shares and player efficiency rating, and is fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list. He won NBA rookie of the year as a Raptor and was selected to six of his 10 all-star games as a Raptor.

If elected, Carter would join Hakeem Olajuwon (one season with Raptors), Tracy McGrady (three seasons) and Chris Bosh (seven) as Raptors in the Naismith Hall.

Carter established Toronto as a legitimate NBA franchise with his high-flying game and became one of the faces of the NBA at the turn of the century. A bitter divorce followed, which led to most Toronto fans booing Carter whenever he returned to town, including during a playoff series against the then New Jersey Nets.

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But things finally thawed 10 years later, with Carter warmly welcomed back in 2014 with a video tribute and standing ovation that led him to tears.

As we wrote at the time: “A near decade of animosity vanished in a flash, as the video of Carter’s high-flying Raptors days was met with a standing ovation from the ACC crowd, along with loud cheers. Carter, looking surprised, mouthed ‘wow’ and had to dab away tears from his eyes with his shirt.

“Fittingly, once Carter checked into the game, he was booed every time he touched the ball, marking a return to normalcy.”

Carter had then said: “It was an amazing feeling to relive it as it was happening. As each play was happening, I could remember it like yesterday.”

Carter said afterward his tears were “an honest reaction.”

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“I couldn’t write it any better. I’m extremely thankful.”

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Kyle Lowry, who would go on to replace Carter as the ultimate iconic Raptor, said at the time:“It was unbelievable. I think the city is still grateful for what he did. At the end of the day , he put Toronto on the basketball map.”

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THE CARTER FILE

• Acquired on draft night by Toronto following a pre-arranged deal with Golden State.
• Averaged 23.4 points per game in parts of seven seasons with Toronto.
• Toronto’s first three seasons above .500 come with Carter, along with first playoff appearances.
• Won 2000 slam-dunk contest with arguably the greatest performance in contest history.
• Traded to New Jersey in December 2004.
• Raptors all-time leader in points per game, player efficiency rating, box plus/minus, usage rate.
• First NBAer to play in 22 seasons.
• 19th in career points and one of only 22 to score 25,000 or more.

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CARTER’S BIGGEST MOMENTS

Feb. 9, 1999: 22 points on 69% shooting and two blocks as the home fans get their first taste of Carter’s aerial exploits following NBA lockout.

Feb. 21, 1999: Scores first two points — and 27 in all — in first game at Air Canada Centre, a win over Vancouver.

May 5, 1999: Just 14 points in a season-ending win over Cleveland, but tells the fans afterward Toronto will make playoffs for the first time the following year.

Jan. 14, 2000: Scores 47 points in a win over Milwaukee and rival Ray Allen. He’d score 48 against them in another win 10 months later.

Feb. 27, 2000: Scores a franchise-record 51 points against Phoenix in a game broadcast across North America and parts of the world.

March 19, 2000: Throws down a two-handed dunk over future Raptor Hakeem Olajuwon for game-winning bucket against Houston, scores 37 in all.

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April 10, 2000: Records his lone triple-double as a Raptor — 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists — in a win over Cleveland that helped assure a post-season berth.

April 26, 2000: With Toronto down a game in a best-of-five against New York, scores 27 points in a tough one-point loss at Gotham.

May 2000: Scores 32 and then 27 points to eliminate the Knicks, then 35 in a win to open Round 2 against Philadelphia. The Raptors wouldn’t win another series until 2016 and didn’t win another series opener until 2018. Carter scored a franchise playoff record 50 points in a Game 3 win, 39 to stave off elimination in Game 6, but shot just 6-for-18 in Game 7, including his iconic miss at the buzzer.

Nov. 10, 2001: Hits eight three-pointers and scores 43 points in a win at Utah.

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March 19, 2002: Gets hurt in a blowout loss against Minnesota, misses final 14 games of season plus the playoffs.

Oct. 29, 2003: After missing most of previous season, opens 2003-04 with a 39-point throwback against the Nets.

2007 playoffs: Returns to torture the Raptors as a member of the New Jersey Nets, averaging a series-best 25 points, while shooting 47% on three-pointers while being relentlessly booed every time he touched the ball. Earlier that year, he had hit a ridiculous long bomb to sink the Raptors in front of his formerly adoring fans.

Nov. 19, 2014: Just shy of 10 years following his trade, Carter is finally warmly welcomed back to Toronto. The cheers following a video tribute move Carter to tears. He was still booed when he touched the ball, but finally, it felt different.

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