Jason Kidd has seen it all.
Over his 19-year NBA career, he shared the court with some of the greatest players in league history from Dirk Nowitzki to Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony. What did the Basketball Gods give him as a coach? How about Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But few players made his life easier than Vince Carter.
At some point this year Carter will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and when he does, he’d like it to be as a member of the Toronto Raptors. It was in Toronto where Carter made a name for himself as one of the league’s most explosive and theatric young players.
Some of Carter’s best days, though, came in New Jersey alongside Kidd in one of the league’s most entertaining backcourts at the time.
“I will never forget the first time I got to play with him in Jersey,” Kidd recalled Wednesday night in Toronto. “I threw a lob. I threw it over the backboard and into the stands and that’s why he didn't catch it because of his jumping ability and his long reach.
“But no, his ability to make the game easy. He was a competitor. He wanted to win.”
Kidd reflected on Carter’s early days in Toronto and those noon tipoff games that, Kidd joked, gave the Raptors a “home-court advantage.” It helped in those days that Carter was the draw for Raptors fans who packed the arena to be amazed by the man they called 'Air Canada Carter.'
“He's one of the best basketball players and one of the best teammates I had the opportunity to play with not just with New Jersey but with Team USA,” Kidd said.
If Carter is indeed inducted, the ceremony will take place this summer on Aug. 17, 2024.
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