During the prime of his career, Vince Carter was one of the most tantalizing players in the NBA.
Much of this came during his six-and-a-half year tenure with the Toronto Raptors where he became a household name behind his explosive athleticism and overall offensive talent. This led much of the youth to elevate him to a legendary status.
One of which was Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, who recently lofted a huge compliment toward Carter comparing him to arguably the game’s greatest player, according to Danielle Cadet of The Undefeated.
“Vince was our Michael Jordan,” he said.
Carter had much of his most productive seasons with the Raptors where he helped bring the franchise into relevancy in the NBA while establishing himself as one of the premier players in the league. He was much more than a high-flying dunker that earned the nicknames “Vinsanity”, “Half-Man/Half-Amazing,” and “Air Canada.”
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He was a high volume scorer that averaged more than 20 points in five of the six seasons in Toronto with a career average of 23.4 points per contest during his tenure. He was a well-rounded talent that had his athleticism overshadow his overall game.
Carter has since put together an impressive career that has seen him earn eight All-Star Game selections. He is also one of six players in league history to average at least 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 10 straight seasons. He is also one of six players in NBA history to reach 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 made 3-pointers.
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What has been equally as impressive has been his ability to continue to be an effective player at the age of 41 while still occasionally throwing down a dunk. Although Carter doesn’t have the laundry list of accolades, he has certainly put together a career that could put him one day in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.