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NBA’s Vince Carter Calls it a Career; 10 Carter Dunks You Have to See to Believe

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11 March 2003: Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors during the Raptors 95-87 loss to the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Mandatory Credit: Icon Sports Media

Well, I’m officially too old to make it in the NBA. The last player in the league older than me, Vince Carter, called it a career this morning at age 43. On his podcast “Winging it with Vince Carter” on the Ringer Network, Carter said that he is “officially done playing basketball professionally.” Carter had previously announced his intention to retire at the season’s end when he signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks.

Carter retires as the NBA’s 19th all-time scorer with a career average of 16.7 points and is the league’s only player to play in four different decades and in 22 seasons. Over the course of his excellent career “Vinsanity” made eight NBA All-Star teams, an All-NBA Second Team and a Third Team, the 1999 Rookie of the Year Award and the All-Rookie First Team. He is one of only six players to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in 10 straight seasons. He joins Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Paul Pierce and LeBron James as the only five players in NBA history to reach 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 3-point field goals. Carter won a gold medal playing for Team USA in 2000 but never an NBA title, despite playing for eight different organizations.

Carter addressed the strange ending to his career, with COVID-19 shutting down the league unexpectedly making his exit somewhat unceremonious. On the podcast Carter said “If there was any disappointment because of the season — any of that — it was kind of easier to put it aside and handle it that way. It’s like, OK, it’s something bigger than my career. … It’s unfortunate, but with the coronavirus taking people’s lives rapidly, that’s the big picture in my mind. So I was able to put the weird ending — the abrupt stoppage of play, to an ending — aside for the bigger picture.”

The goodbyes began pouring in from all over for the beloved forward, with some citing his impressive career numbers.

And far more mentioned was the thing Vince Carter was best known for: his incredible dunking ability. “Vinsanity,” “Air Canada,” “Half man, Half Amazing,” by any name, Carter could fly.

10 Vince Carter Dunks That You Have to See to Believe

Vince and Doug Just Another Day at Work

Carter ranked this insane dunk 10th on his own personal list of his greatest dunks. Taking a pass from Doug Christie who Carter says he thought was going to dunk the ball himself, the surprised Vince still manages to pull off a ridiculous double-pump two-hander.

Taking it Baseline vs. the Pacers

Carter absolutely torches Chris Mullin off the dribble here, taking it baseline and throwing down a huge ridiculous dunk over Mullin and Pacers center Rick Smits.

A Reverse Alley Oop vs. the Magic That’s Just Magic

Vince admits he had no idea on this one. “I jumped in the air and was just like ‘wherever the ball goes, I’ll figure it out.'”

Only the Greatest In-Game Alley Oop of All-Time

I mentioned that Vince Carter could actually fly, right?

360 Windmill at the Dunk Contest

In 2000 Vince Carter threw down one of the best non-stunt Dunk Contest dunks you’ll ever see.

He Could Do That In Games Too

Vince Carter was never one to reserve the big highlight dunks for the Dunk Contest only.

Off the Backboard at the All-Star Game

The NBA All-Star game is a non-serious highlight reel filled with incredible plays. This 2005 dunk off the backboard is one of the best of the best.

Climbing Mt. Mutombo

7-foot-2 Dikembe Mutombo was one of the NBA’s most intimidating shot blockers of all-time. In 1999 a rookie Vince Carter would introduce himself the best way he knew how.

Poor, Poor Freddy

Turn away, Knicks fans, and I guess fans of Team France as well. You knew this one was going to be here. In the Olympics in 2000 Vince Carter jumped over 7-foot-2 Knicks draft-and-stash Frederic Weiss. I don’t mean he dunked on him, I mean he literally jumped over him to dunk. Weiss would never make the NBA after seeing what was waiting for him.

Every Dunk From His Final Season

Vince Carter could still throw it down at age 42. Maybe not as often, maybe not as high, but “Air Canada” can still fly when he needs to.

We’ll miss you, Vince. Happy trails.

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