Vince Carter wants to re-write the final chapter of his tenure with the Toronto Raptors.
Nobody was happy with the way it ended in 2004. The Raptors received almost nothing from the New Jersey Nets in what’ll go down as one of, if not the worst trades in franchise history. The trade and the animosity leading up to it marred Carter’s legacy in Toronto, leading to relentless booing whenever he returned to the city.
But as Carter nears a likely Hall of Fame induction this year, the former Raptors legend wants to honor his first team. It may not have been a happy ending, but Toronto was still his home for parts of nine seasons and if he does get the call to be inducted, it’ll be a Raptors uniform he wants to wear.
“It's where it started,” Carter said of FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” show.
“Yes, I had great years in Jersey, but it started there. My confidence and understanding the player I could be in the league was trending upwards still in Toronto.”
Carter played in 401 games for the Raptors, averaging 23.4 points per game. He’ll go down as one of the most inspirational players in franchise history who played a key part in growing the game across Canada.
His legendary 2000 dunk contest is still widely considered among the most impressive dunk competitions in league history.
Carter is still among the greatest players in franchise history, sitting fourth in total points scored, trailing only DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Chris Bosh, respectively.
His legacy will forever be complicated by how his time in Toronto initially ended, but the past decade has helped heal those wounds as Carter is now regularly celebrated when he returns to the city.
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