Vince Carter to be 1st player in Raptors' 30-year history to have number retired: reports
47-year-old will be honoured Nov. 2; Ranks 4th in franchise history with 9,420 points
Former Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter will have his No. 15 retired by the NBA team this season, according to multiple media reports.
The 47-year-old Hall of Famer is expected to have his jersey retired in Toronto on Nov. 2 and will become the first Raptor to receive the honour.
Carter was the Raptors' first superstar and is credited for raising the profile of the team and igniting enthusiasm for basketball across Canada.
But the decision to retire his jersey is polarizing, with some fans and local media members still smarting from his acrimonious departure from the team in December 2004.
Carter was traded to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets for a meagre return early in the 2004-05 season amid claims that he "quit" on the team.
Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals over 403 games with the Raptors.
During his time in Toronto, the athletic Carter was perhaps best known for his highlight-reel dunking ability. He won the NBA's slam dunk contest in 2000 with a memorable performance, clinching the title with a 360-degree windmill jam.
Carter made his debut with the Raptors in 1998 after being traded to Toronto at that year's draft after being selected fifth overall by Golden State.
Nicknamed "Air Canada" during his time north of the border, Carter was the 1998-99 NBA rookie of the year with Toronto.
"You play 22 years, there's a lot of moments that have happened that have been influential and close to my heart."<br><br>Vince Carter on what it means to be inducted into the <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoophall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hoophall</a>! <a href="https://t.co/5xyLL32Eql">pic.twitter.com/5xyLL32Eql</a>
—@NBAHe was an eight-time NBA all-star (2000-07), but even when his explosiveness left him, he managed to find a niche as a veteran role player.
Carter retired after the 2019-20 campaign while with the Atlanta Hawks — he posted 25,728 points in 1,541 games over 22 seasons eight NBA teams — and is the only NBA player to suit up for action in four different decades.
He also played with Dallas, Memphis, Orlando, Sacramento and Phoenix. Carter finished with averages of 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3,1 assists and one steal over 1,541 regular-season NBA games.
Carter will enter the Basketball Hall of Fame next month and will have his number retired by the Nets in January.
Carter still holds the Raptors' single-season scoring record with 27.6 points per game in 2000-01. He ranks fourth in franchise history in career scoring with 9,420 points.
With files from Field Level Media
