'I didn't come from that era' - Vince Carter explains why he did not ring-chase late in his career

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By Shane Garry Acedera | Last updated Dec 12, 2024 6:09 AM ET

Before LeBron James matched him this season, Vince Carter held a record for most years played in the NBA, with his run in the league spanning over four decades. Still, he never achieved the ultimate team success.

The Hall of Famer spent his prime years in Toronto and New Jersey, but his teams never made it to the NBA Finals. The closest he was to holding the Larry O'Brien trophy was when he played on an Orlando Magic team that reached the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals.

Late in his career, V.C. received offers to play for contending teams. Despite the calls, he chose to finish his NBA career on his terms.

"In my later years, I wanted to play," he said on the Run it Back podcast. "I didn't want to be on a superteam if I didn't play. And maybe I could have, but it just was never my thing because I didn't come from that era. We tried to get Shaq as a free agent some time ago, I will say that, but it didn't work out."

Vince Carter explains why Blake Griffin, Tracy McGrady & Allen Iverson would rather have no ring than one won on the bench pic.twitter.com/RweQinoNXf
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 11, 2024

Winning on his own terms

Carter was always "the man" on his teams. He was the Raptors' franchise player for seven seasons and was also the best player on the Nets for five years.

Still, Vince wasn't the only one with that mentality. He mentioned Blake Griffin, Tracy McGrady, and Allen Iverson as other NBA superstars who only wanted to win rings on their own terms.

"They all wanted championships, but they wanted to do it in a certain way because that's what they were accustomed to. And I think that's kind of just it. It's hard to sit on the end of the bench when you thought you could still contribute and that was my issue," the NBA legend added.

Carter was a contributor until the end

At age 40, "Vinsanity" still received votes for Sixth Man of the Year while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. Even during his final two years in Atlanta, the then-42-year-old was a serviceable veteran who averaged 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

Of the 11 players in NBA history to play at least 20 years in the league, only LeBron, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki had a higher career usage rate than Vince's 26.31. He finished his NBA career playing at least 20 minutes per game 18 times in 22 seasons and played 14.6 minutes per night as the oldest player in the league in 2020.

Some say Vince was foolish, even stubborn, for turning down offers to play for contending teams late in his career. However, his stand against ring-chasing is worth applauding, especially in today's day and age when it has become common.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

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