TORONTO – Vince Carter hoped Toronto Raptors fans could embrace his complicated legacy with the team during his jersey retirement ceremony.
They didn’t let him down.
All 19,800 fans at Scotiabank Arena stood for the whole thing of the 20-minute ceremony on Saturday night in the course of the intermission of Toronto’s game with the Sacramento Kings. Carter spoke on to the fans in the world and people watching at home during his temporary speech before the purple banner was raised to the venue’s rafters.
“When that jersey goes up shortly, it’s not only Carter 15 going up, it’s all of us going up,” said Carter to loud cheers. “The memories that had been created for six years, nevertheless you view it, go up tonight.
“So I hope and pray we enjoy our jersey being retired without end.”
Carter was joined by family and former teammates for the on-court ceremony MCed by TV broadcaster Matt Devlin. Former Raptors Jerome Williams, Dee Brown, Kevin Williams, Muggsy Bogues, Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams, Morris Peterson, Charles Oakley and Tracy McGrady — Carter’s cousin and a fellow Hall of Famer — all watched on from chairs arrange on the ground.
A video that featured Alvin Williams, former Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald, Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry, former Toronto play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson, Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia, Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry, Toronto all-star Scottie Barnes, Carter’s mother, wife, and kids, in addition to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum played at first of the ceremony to congratulate Carter.
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Raptors team president Masai Ujiri psyched up the sold-out crowd with a rousing speech to introduce Carter.
“He’s a legend. He’s an icon. He’s half-man, he’s half-amazing,” said Ujiri. “He’s the Vince Carter effect, right? Yes. He builds our community. He helped us put Toronto on the map.
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“He taught us find out how to fly, and those that don’t know find out how to fly, he taught us find out how to dream find out how to fly.”
Carter thanked several Raptors front office members by name, rap superstar Drake, his family, and former teammates before turning his attention to the fans.
“(It’s) an unbelievable day that has never been experienced here on the basketball side,” said Carter. “I’m honoured to start to share this moment together, finally.”
It was a cathartic experience after Carter’s departure from Toronto after six-plus seasons soured his relationship with the team and its fan base.
Carter was acquired by Toronto in a draft-night trade in 1998 and he led the team to its first three playoff appearances between 2000 and 2002. Grunwald and all the coaching staff were fired within the 2004 off-season and Carter had friction with recent GM Rob Babcock, which led to him being traded midseason to the then-Latest Jersey Nets on Dec. 17, 2004.
Many fans felt Carter had forced the trade by quitting on the team and booed him when he returned to Toronto with the Nets. He said in a news conference before the ceremony that for a very long time he never thought he’d be welcomed back by Raptors fans.
“Have you ever seen me recently? I actually don’t know what else to say. I feel like my emotions speak louder than words. It tells a story,” said Carter when asked about the way it felt to be recognized by the Raptors after their fans roundly booed him for nearly a decade after the trade.
“It’s just appreciation for where we were, where we were attending to, and where we are actually, and now you wrap that up with a bow, you already know what I’m saying?
“Nothing else must be said in case you can’t really understand that. I mean, walking around with deaf ears and blind eyes.”
The 47-year-old Carter said that a game in 2014, when he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, was a turning point in his relationship with Toronto fans. The Raptors were celebrating their twentieth anniversary and honoured every former player that got here through Scotiabank Arena — even Carter — with a highlight-reel video.
Carter was booed when he was introduced that night, cheered in the course of the video, after which booed when he checked back into the sport, however it made him realize that the old wounds may be healing.
“Standing right here, watching that video, tearing up, my heart was stuffed with joy to finally have that moment with you all,” Carter said in his speech. “It was something that I all the time wanted, a sense I wanted us all to have, which got us where we’re today.”
Carter retired from skilled basketball in 2020 after 22 years within the NBA and was enshrined within the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Oct. 13.
He believes that his passion for basketball is what drew Raptors fans to him, but in addition why they turned on him after he left.
“I just desired to play. I just loved to hoop. I used to be that guy all the time walking around with a bit of bop, because I had music in my mind, wanting to fly across the arenas and dunk on people,” said Carter within the news conference. “Which is why people fell in love, which is why I understand why people were sad and had their feelings, because they gravitated to that they enjoyed it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
