Vince Carter has had the longest career in NBA history with 22 seasons. And although he may not have won a championship at this time, he left a deep impact in the league. Carter became Rookie of the Year, 8x All-Star, and Slam Dunk champion, but it seems this was not enough for him.

And as a result, even after retirement, the ex-Nets star is still leaving marks of his legacy. Notably, Carter received the honor of Naismith Hall of Fame this year itself. And apart from this, he recently also made it to the cover of NBA 2K25. The kind of impact the 8x All-Star had is evident, so let’s have a look back at his NBA career.

Vince Carter’s entry into the league and his peak

Having played different sports during his high school days, Carter continued on the path of basketball after leading his high school basketball team to its first Class 6A state title in 56 years. Doing so, he also became the 1995 Florida Mr. Basketball. However, Carter’s basketball career took a more serious approach with his entry at UNC Tar Heels. Playing three seasons for the college, he averaged 12.3 points with a 36.8 3-point shooting percentage and 54.7 field goal percentage. Apart from this, he also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Now this may not have been an exceptional stat line, but it was enough for the Golden State Warriors to select him with the no. 5 pick in the 1998 Draft. However, the Warriors then traded Carter to the Toronto Raptors, and the move worked for the Raptors. The ex-UNC star showed major improvement over his college performance in his first season. Averaging 18.3 points, and 5.7 rebounds per game, he earned himself Rookie of the Year award. Apart from this, he also led Toronto to its first-ever playoff appearance in 2000.

During the same year, Carter also managed to claim Slam Dunk Contest to his name. And his dunks are remembered to date by basketball enthusiasts. Vince Carter was evolving with time, and he brought the Raptors their first-ever playoff victory in 2001. Subsequently, the team signed a reported 6-year, $94 million extension with him. In his NBA career, Carter has appeared for the Raptors in 7 different seasons, averaging 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. His first run with the team ended after GM Glen Grunwald and the entire coaching staff’s firing in 2004.

The new GM Rob Babcock traded Carter to the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round draft picks. This is still considered one of the worst trades in NBA history considering the Raptors did not get much for a player like Carter. The reported reason behind the trade was the 8x All-Star himself wanting it.

No wonder that the city that once revered VC booed him during his first game back in Toronto. And the booing continued on every other appearance in the city, but he did not let himself be affected much. “I appreciate the fans and whether you cheer for me, boo me, or hate me, I still love you,” Carter once said. In either case, the 8x All-Star’s journey with the Nets had started. He led the team to 3 consecutive playoff appearances but never made it past the conference semi-finals. 

Farewell to the Nets and a decline in NBA career

The 8x All-Star suited for the Nets in 5 seasons and averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. This is Vince Carter’s best stat line for any team in his career. And the end of his stint with the Nets was the point that his career started going downhill.

However, he still had one limitation that he still had to overcome for himself. After his stint with the Nets ended, Carter landed with Orlando Magic. This was the time when Magic wanted to surround Dwight Howard with a perimeter scorer after the 2009 NBA finals loss. It seemed the Magic was basing their championship aspirations primarily on the duo. And thus came the first-ever conference final appearance for Carter.

However, Magic faced a 4-2 loss in the series at the hands of the Boston Celtics. And this stayed the farthest VC ever reached in a playoff series. However, he does not have much regret about it as Carter is said to have never chased for the rings. And even in his downward career, he had a chance to join a team like the Warriors, but he would not have got to play much over there.

“As much as I thought about it, I didn’t think about going against what I believe in. I wanna play and earn my championship instead of being on the coattails of others who do it,” he said in an interview with Taylor Rooks. After his stint with Magic ended, Carter found permanence of sorts with the Mavericks, but only for three seasons. The 8x All-Star was now averaging even below 10 points per game and after moving through Grizzlies, Kings, and Hawks, his career eventually ended after 22 seasons. But his legacy continues to live with HOF and 2K25 cover being the most recent instances.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.