Vince Carter is close to being a Hall-of-Famer. The class of 2024 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame were announced on Friday, ahead of the All-Star Celebrity Game and Rising Stars Challenge. Carter was among the many deserving legends headlining the finalists class.

The 8x All-Star was flooded with love and congratulations immediately. He took to X to express how he feels about the honor and the support he’s received. “Mannnnn! Thank you to everyone who reached out to me this evening. This is so surreal… so from me to you I say much love to you all.”

Along with Carter, Chauncey Billups, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Seimone Augustus, Dick Barnett, and Michelle Timms are the other names on this list. Bo Ryan, Charles Smith, Marian Washington, Harley Redin, Doug Collins, Herb Simon, and Jerry West are among the coaches and executives in the running.

Carter’s HoF-worthy career began when he was picked no.5 in the 1998 NBA draft. The UNC alum was named 1998-99 Rookie of the Year, eight All-Star selections, the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, NBA Sportsmanship Award, NBA Team of the Year, and two All-NBA honors across a 22-year career.

He was in his prime playing for the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in over 400 games for the Raptors.

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Immediately after he was named a finalist, Carter was bursting with emotion. “Unbelievable,” he told the press. “You look in the crowd, you see Hall of Famers, and the opportunity… I mean, you can’t beat that. You can’t beat that. It’s a proud moment.” More than a few people have their fingers crossed for Vince.

Fans are ready for HoFer VinSanity

Several fans took to social media calling this honor “rightfully” well-deserved. While some say he should’ve been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, others are sure he’s a shoo-in along with Billups.

Since it’s the All-Star Weekend, the HoF moment takes them back to Vinsanity’s epic dunk moments. Chants of “Greatest dunker of all time,” have come back through this moment.

Carter’s 22 seasons are the most in NBA history. Some might say it hurt his HoF chances. But he said today that it didn’t matter as long as he played. “I loved to play, more than anything. It wasn’t about the numbers. I was asked probably five years prior to retiring, ‘Why are you still playing? You’re killing your average.’ And I said, ‘But I still love to play.’ And that’s what mattered.”

His HoF induction matters a lot more to his fans. What was your reaction to Vince Carter’s headlining spot on this list?

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