You had to be there on February 24, 1999, to really get it. The Toronto Raptors were playing against the Indiana Pacers. The rookie they picked fifth overall in the 1998 Draft, Vince Carter, was only in his 10th game because of the lockout that year. Carter had Pacers’ Chris Mullin stumbling at the baseline with a pump fake and leaped. Everyone thought he was going for a layup, but he threw the ball at the back of his head for a reverse layup midair. Within a dozen games, Vince Carter was impactful. He had announcers going wild and crowds on their feet every time his feet left the parquet. He ended his shortened first year as the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year. But he’d walk away from his first year, better known as Air Canada.

He’s been knighted Vinsanity and Half Man/Half Amazing since then. But he’ll always be Air Canada to Raptors nation. Toronto is honoring their big high-flyer which makes a walk-down history of Vince Carter’s first nickname a must.

When Vince Carter dominated Air Canada Centre

1999 was a different time. The Bulls dynasty had disbanded after six thrilling titles. There was no guarantee Michael Jordan was coming back. At that time, a fledgling team with no frontcourt was the last thing on anyone’s mind. UNC-Chapel Hill, the school that gave us Air Jordan, had another skywalker on the rise. The Toronto Raptors picked up Vince Carter via Golden State, but he couldn’t showcase his skills immediately due to the lockout.

Carter made his NBA debut in January 1999. Suddenly Raptors games had slam dunks, posterizers, spectacles, and most importantly, wins – things that used to be common in Chicago. The NBA was still struggling to gain traction in the Great White North under retired champion, Isiah Thomas’ efforts. With their star rookie, the Raptors accomplished that in a month.

The 44-inch vertical leap, shots from as far as 30 feet away, the 360 reverse windmill against the Cavaliers, and the baseline reverse dunk against the Pacers were some of the most memorable moments of his rookie season. With a highlight reel that gave the second coming of Dominique Wilkins, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 18.3 points.

By the time he led the Raptors to their first-ever playoff appearance in 2000, he was greeted by chants of Air Canada everywhere. The original Canadian airline, which the Raptors’ home arena the Air Canada Centre was named after, didn’t mind. It was a convenient wordplay with a nod to the reigning high-flyer Jordan with an acknowledgment of where Carter started.

Air Canada made slam dunks fashionable again

Carter would up his game (literally) in 2000. The NBA had discontinued the Slam Dunk Contest due to lack of participation. But they brought it back just to let Vince Carter go ham. Along with popularizing basketball in Canada, he’s credited for reviving one of the most exciting All-Star Weekend spectacles in five leaps.

He started with the 360 reverse windmill, got his elbow in the rim, did a two-hander from the free throw line, then was crowned the Slam Dunk Champion when he caught the ball from his teammate, Tracy McGrady, and sunk it with a between-the-legs move. Wilkins puts that 2000 contest at par with himself.

Topping a thrilling NBA season with Slam Dunk grandiosity, Vince Carter headed to Sydney with Team USA for the Olympics. Apart from leading the team with 14.8 points per game, Carter recorded arguably the highest jump of his career. The 6’6″ flyer jumped over the French 7’2″ giant, Frederic Weis, caught him between his legs and slammed it home. The French media called it the “le dunk de la mort” aka the Dunk of Death. Carter left Sydney with a gold medal and a feat that hasn’t been replicated since.

With the addition of TMac, Carter led the Raptors to its first postseason series win and all the way to the Easter Conference Finals. Then the injuries piled on, playoffs were missed, and frustrations mounted. It culminated in Carter heading to the Nets.

Word has it that he “quit” on the team and demanded a trade. It seemed to fill the Raptors Nation with resentment. It was bad enough that when he returned to Air Canada Centre in Nets colors, he was booed. The Raptors met Nets Carter several times but he’d no longer be Air Canada.

Apart from geographical reasons, he had new nicknames – Vinsanity and Half Man, Half Amazing. But the bad blood is a thing of the past (kind of). His between-the-legs Slam Dunk Contest move was made into the new Raptors logo. A little throwback to when Air Canada made basketball must-see TV in the north.