During his legendary 22-year NBA career, Vince Carter earned nicknames like “Vinsanity” and “Half Man, Half Amazing”. But now, Carter is proud of his newest title: Hall of Famer. While he played for eight different franchises before retiring in 2020, it was his time with the Toronto Raptors that truly cemented his legacy.

With the 2024-25 season, the Raptors are celebrating their 30th NBA season by making sure no one forgets Carter’s impact. During a Carter-themed event, Raptors president Masai Ujiri announced that they will retire Carter’s No. 15 in Scotiabank Arena. For Raptors fans, this is a long-overdue honor for the player who turned the team from a struggling expansion franchise into a must-watch spectacle. Carter’s journey with Toronto had its ups and downs, but it’s undeniable that his time there was something special—for both him and the team.

Vince Carter and the Raptor’s special bond

Carter himself confirmed that he is entering the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Toronto Raptors star. “There’s no greater honor than to go into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Raptor,” he shared. And for many fans, this is a full-circle moment. Carter has always acknowledged the bumpy ride in Toronto, but he appreciates what it taught him.

“Thank you. Thank you for sticking with it,” he said, reflecting on his time with the Raptors. “It was an up-and-down ride… it helped me grow up even faster, mould me, taught me life lessons, what life is about.”

As basketball has grown in Canada, Carter has come to fully understand the impact he had. Reflecting on moments like Tristan Thompson telling him, “You were my Michael Jordan,” Carter shared how that moment made him realize just how much he influenced the next generation of Canadian players.

Impact on Canadian basketball

Even though Vince Carter didn’t spend his entire career in Canada, his influence on basketball north of the border still runs deep. “Everybody that really plays basketball in this country knows who Vince Carter is,” Raptors forward and Canadian RJ Barrett once said. “What he’s done for the game is huge.”

Carter spent the first six and a half years of his NBA career with the Raptors. He took home Rookie of the Year honors in 1999, became an All-Star, and famously won the Slam Dunk contest in his second season. That same year, he led Toronto to its first playoff appearance.

Reflecting on his Toronto days, Carter credits the team’s veterans, like Charles Oakley, for teaching him how to navigate his early career. “I had a great support system,” Carter said during his Hall of Fame announcement. “I was willing to ask questions because I wanted to learn.”

According to Canadian and Raprots center Kelly Olynyk, Carter’s presence sparked a passion for basketball in Canada. “A lot of my friends and even some older people, we wanted to play basketball so much because of the Raptors and Vince and the excitement it brought,” Olynyk shared. He also pointed out that the next generation is now catching the basketball bug, creating a multigenerational impact that continues to grow.

And Nets coach Jordi Fernandez, who’s also coached Canada’s national team, put it: “I think it’s really special… for Canadian basketball that they could enjoy such a great player.”

While Carter’s exit from Toronto was rocky—he pushed for a trade, leaving some bitter feelings—time has healed those wounds. The Raptors are set to retire his jersey this season, and the city recently revamped a Vince Carter Court in Toronto, cementing his legacy.

Vince Carter discusses his Raptors’ career

Once the face of the franchise, Carter quickly became a villain to many Raptors fans after his trade to the New Jersey Nets. During a recent podcast with Taylor Rooks, he reflected on the relentless “boos” he faced every time he returned to Toronto post-trade. “It was relentless and loud,” he said, laughing at how the crowd never let up, even years after he left.

But despite the noise, Carter feels he handled things the right way. “I just feel like I handled everything the correct way,” he explained. Carter was upfront with the organization, communicating his thoughts and decisions clearly. “I had conversations with people, and I made a decision that we’re seeing now to the 20th power,” he further added.

Carter then revealed that the Raptors were ready to turn the page and build around a new star, Chris Bosh. He had discussions with team officials and was willing to step aside to allow the franchise to move in a different direction.

“One thing I wasn’t going to be is a locker room problem, and I think that’s what they were looking for,” he shared. “That’s not my style. I just wanted to play ball, that’s it.” For Carter, it was about continuing to play the game he loved, even if that meant leaving Toronto.

Looking back, Carter acknowledges there were plenty of behind-the-scenes factors that shaped how things played out. “There are so many things behind the scenes that now, it is what it is,” he said, reflecting on the fallout. He believes some narratives unfairly painted him in a negative light, but he’s made peace with how things unfolded. “It perceived to make me look like this and that, and I just go back to my same question.” However, for Carter, the past is past and things are all smooth.