“That Memory Sticks With Me”: Vince Carter Recalls Giving Starting Position To Aging Michael Jordan

After an illustrious 22-year career, Vince Carter has announced his retirement from basketball. With the Atlanta Hawks not participating in the NBA return, Carter’s last game was in March, when the Hawks took on the Knicks. Even as he leaves the sport, he has turned the spotlight on to Michael Jordan, saying he cherished the chance to play against him.

NBA on ESPN shared a video from Carter where he shares an iconic incident from 2003.

In the video, Carter says, “My story about MJ goes back to All-Star in Atlanta. I was the leading vote-getter. I gave my starting position to MJ, which he declined multiple times throughout the day. So we go on and he accepts the starting position. Any time that All-Star game is played on TV or talked about that, memory sticks with me because it was just historic in my mind (and) historic for all the fans who were watching to see MJ do his thing one more time in an All-Star game”

Vince Carter feels proud he got to play against Michael Jordan

Jordan retired for the second time in 1998, the year when Carter was drafted. But they were able to face each other when Jordan returned with the Washington Wizards in 2001. They went head to head four times, and the results were split. However, Carter being in his prime, outperformed the almost 40-year-old MJ.

But Carter was grateful to just share the stage with Jordan. “Being in the NBA for 22 years, I can proudly say I got the chance to play against Michael Jordan. And it was nothing short of an amazing opportunity that a lot of players in today’s game can’t say. His impact on the game, his impact on players today, and players in the past is well documented.”

In his last few years, Carter wasn’t able to contribute much on the court but was an asset to the Hawks. His experience was helpful to the young Hawks team. Carter leaves as one of the best dunkers the game has ever seen. His dunks earned him multiple nicknames like, ‘Air Canada’, ‘Vinsanity’, and even ‘Half-Man/Half-Amazing.’