Vince Carter’s jaw-dropping dunks made him one of the NBA’s most popular players during his stint in Toronto.
The Toronto Raptors will retire the No. 15 jersey of eight-time All-Star Vince Carter on Nov. 2, team president Masai Ujiri announced Friday during a public function.
“We do it with great pride and great honor,” Ujiri said. “So on behalf of all of us, we say congratulations Vince.”
Celebrating a Legend – November 2, 2024 pic.twitter.com/IhsLlVb3uN
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) September 27, 2024
Carter was in Toronto for a ceremony at the renovated Vince Carter Court, where he was overcome with emotion as Ujiri surprised him with the news that he would become the first Raptors player to have his jersey raised to the rafters at Scotiabank Arena.
“I’m beyond words,” Carter said per The Canadian Press.
The Raptors hung No. 15 jerseys throughout Toronto in the days leading up to Friday’s announcement.
Vince Carter gets emotional as Masai Ujiri announces that No. 15 will be raised to the rafters. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/4v4TzqeUfa
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 27, 2024
“I was extremely grateful when the Raptors informed me of their plans to retire my jersey in November in the arena that gave me my start in the NBA and was the home of so many special memories for me,” Carter added via release. “I look forward to sharing that moment with my family, friends and the Toronto fans who made my time with the Raptors so memorable.”
Selected fifth overall in the 1998 Draft, the high-flying Carter quickly blossomed into one of the league’s best and most popular players with the Raptors.
He won the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year award, then made the All-Star team in each of his next five season before Toronto traded him to New Jersey — which will also retire his jersey this season — in December of 2004.
Carter averaged 23.4 points per game during his six-plus seasons with the Raptors, still the highest individual scoring average in franchise history.
Carter retired from the NBA in 2020 after playing 1,541 games for eight different teams over 22 seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to see action in four different decades.
