Raphael Seabra – In Motion Staff Writer
While the NBA season is put on hold, it is the perfect time to remember the career of Daytona Beach native and eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter.
Carter attended Mainland High School, where he scored over 2,200 points and led the Mainland Buccaneers to a Class 6A state championship. Carter would later go on to attend the University of North Carolina. During his time at UNC, Carter averaged 12.3 points, 1.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
After his college career, Carter was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft but was instantly traded to the Toronto Raptors. While he played for the Raptors, Carter won the 1999 Rookie of the Year Award, the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest and an Olympic Gold Medal.
Having spent 22 years in the NBA, Vince Carter has played for eight different NBA teams. Carter started his career as a young explosive player and over time developed into a high IQ player and mentor to young teammates. In June 2019, Carter announced that his NBA career would come to an end after the 2019-2020 season.
Carter ended his career playing for the Atlanta Hawks alongside 21-year-old NBA Allstar Trae Young. In an interview with NBA on ESPN, Young elaborated on his relationship with Vince Carter, saying, “He understands. He’s been through it all. Getting drafted before I was even born, and so he knows everything I’m going through and how to handle it. So, it’s amazing. The transition for me is a lot easier.”
Carter played his last game in Central Florida on February 10, 2020, where he played one of the eight previous teams he was on, the Orlando Magic. Carter received a standing ovation and tribute video from the Amway Center. Despite barely losing against the Magic 126-135, Carter still managed to put up 9 points, shooting 3-3 from the three-point line.
Vince Carter’s legacy will forever live on in the NBA. Although we might have seen Carter’s last game on March 12, 2020, we must now await the final verdict of the postponed NBA season.
