Vince Carter retired from the NBA last week after 22 seasons on the job.
Playing games in four different decades and having a career roughly five times the length of the normal NBA player is alone an accomplishment worthy of Guinness. Though Carter was able to complete an even more impressive feat: being loved, then hated, then loved again by the always mercurial sports fans.
Entering the NBA in 1998, Carter quite literally leaped onto the scene via his uncanny array of aerial acrobatics, which by 2000, landed him as the lead on SportsCenter on a nightly basis. His game far exceeded that of “just a dunker” though, as evidenced by his multiple game-winners (a SEVERELY underrated part of his game) and the 50-point night he threw on the 76ers in the 2001 conference semifinals.
The meteoric rise of the former North Carolina Tar Heel seemed destined to land him in the conversation of generational greats. From a raw talent perspective, Air Canada had every bit the of the gifts contemporaries Kobe Bryant and (his cousin) Tracy McGrady possessed. But it was the shot Carter missed at the buzzer of Game 7 against Philadelphia in that same 2001 series that felt like a turning point in his career. By now, the story of Carter attending his college graduation the day of Game 7, only to hop on a private jet back to Philly is the stuff of NBA folklore. Or, it would’ve been had he not barely drawn back-iron on the 18-footer that would’ve sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. From that moment, nothing was the same.
Soon after, things soured. After inking a $94 million extension, the Raptors won 5, then 18 fewer games in 2002 and 2003 respectively, two injury-plagued seasons for Carter. With the Raptors appearing to be in a rebuild, Carter appeared to sulk. It was rumored he tussled with coach Sam Mitchell. He stopped attacking the basket. He received the reputation of not being a hard worker or a galvanizing leader.
It was bad. Carter’s numbers plummeted–under 16 points and 42% shooting per contest in his last 20 games as a Raptor. He was even accused of sabotaging his own team by tipping plays to the opposition on his way out of Canada, as Toronto traded him to New Jersey for basically nothing in December 2004. In short, Vince Carter went from most popular player in the NBA to the poster child for getting the least out of your abilities, seemingly at warp speed. It didn’t help that he essentially admitted to not pushing himself in Toronto shortly after the trade.
“In years past, no…I was fortunate to have talent. You get spoiled when you’re able to do a lot of things. you see that you don’t have to work at it.”
Though he experienced a resurgence with the Nets, the damage to Carter’s reputation was done, as he was never again revered the way he once was. Despite suiting up over 1500 times, Carter’s postseason career was anything but satisfying, appearing in just 88 career playoff games and only making the Conference Finals once.
So without winning providing its natural insulation from public condemnation, how exactly did Half-Man, Half-Amazing turn around a legacy from that of a player who squandered his immense talents, to one being shouted out all over Twitter last week?
Vinsanity received a virtual head nod from ex-teammates, former legends, every team he ever played for (including the Raptors and the one-year cups of coffee) and several others he didn’t. He received shoutouts from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He was honored multiple times by the NBA’s official Twitter account. Adam Silver put out a statement of acknowledgement. In a beautiful way, it was as if nobody realized it was once fashionable to trash Vince Carter.
His secret? Consistency, perseverance and doing his job–three closely related ideas that would define the Vince Carter redemption story.
On going from “the favorite to most hated”, Jay Z famously rhymed “Dark knight feeling, die and be a hero/Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” Be it intentional or serendipitous, Vince stuck around to see his light largely burn out, but hung on long enough to see the script flip. He was productive, albeit not the lead dog on two competitive Orlando teams before settling into his new duty as a role player with Phoenix and Dallas. Carter was rock solid in these and other stops–showing up, accepting lesser roles (and salaries) year after year, while gladly mentoring younger players.
“I would never disrespect the game,” Carter recently told Steve Smith on NBATV, also citing his love for the game as the reason he played as long as he did. The 180 on the man once said to pull off a 720 reveals an important factor about us as fans: Generally, people love players who love the game. For years, it was believed Vince Carter was not that guy. But as his career chugged along to stops in Memphis, Sacramento and Atlanta, we saw a player who wasn’t just mailing it in and cashing checks (never making more than $8M in any of his last nine seasons), rather a player looking to make his mark on the next generation. He embraced being a “locker room” guy and a positive veteran influence. He was professional, despite having so many opportunities to be yet another bitter ex-superstar unwilling to adapt to his new situation. Teams valued that, and before long, it became cool to rock with VC again.
Carter called his departure from Toronto a “misconception” that made boos upon his return as a Net particularly painful. In the moment, it seemed like The 6 was serving as the megaphone for disappointed hoop heads perpetually yearning for a Michael Jordan replacement, spurned by a guy whom they believed left so much game on the table. Little did they know Vince Carter had plenty of game still, and he’d give away so much of it over the next 15 years.