Vince Carter turned a struggling Canadian team into must-see basketball
Vince Carter was offered a college scholarship for playing the saxophone, and in high school he dominated volleyball. He chose basketball instead, and ended up playing NBA games across four decades, the only player ever to do so, after turning a young Toronto franchise into a global attraction.
Carter grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. A broken wrist ended his time as a high school quarterback, so he switched to volleyball, where he averaged 24 kills a match. Bethune-Cookman University offered him a saxophone scholarship. On the basketball court he led his school to its first state title in 56 years and was courted by 77 top-division colleges before choosing North Carolina, where he reached two Final Fours.
Golden State drafted him fifth in 1998 and immediately traded him to Toronto. The Raptors had struggled in their first three years, and Carter changed that. Nicknamed Air Canada, he was Rookie of the Year, and his 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, featuring a 360-degree windmill and a dunk that left his elbow hooked in the rim, is often called the most memorable in the event's history. At the 2000 Olympics, where he led the American team in scoring and won gold, a dunk against France became known as the Dunk of Death. He led Toronto to its first playoffs and, in 2001, its first series win.
He was also generous with the spotlight. In 2003 he gave up his All-Star starting place so Michael Jordan could make a final All-Star start. Traded to New Jersey in 2004, he was booed for years on returns to Toronto, the city that had once adored him.
Carter adapted as he aged, becoming a prolific three-point shooter, and lasted 22 seasons across eight franchises. He finished his degree during his career and entered the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Source: Vince Carter
