Vince Carter is a Hall of Famer. Is he first ballot? That’s debatable. His productivity and impact on basketball make him worthy of basketball immortality. He should get in based solely on legendary nicknames like Vinsanity, Half-Man/Half-Amazing, and Air Canada.

On this date in 2000, Vince Carter became Vinsanity at the dunk contest. pic.twitter.com/zOtK2VKH6b — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 12, 2018

In his prime, Carter was one of the most exciting players. He is widely considered as one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history. The 2000 Slam Dunk Contest was one in which he amazed many. His hand getting stuck in the net is one in which many will never forget. Dunking over a seven-footer in the 2000 Olympics was another career highlight of his. Even at 41, Carter can still throw it down.

Father Time can't slow down Vince Carter ⏰ VC is 41-years old still rising up for 360° dunks ✈️ pic.twitter.com/KMy0mHUXH3 — NBA UK (@NBAUK) November 28, 2018

With as electric as he was at abusing the rim, dunking is not the end all-be-all here for Carter. Let’s look at his entire body of work.

Carter was drafted in 1998 with the fifth overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. That same night he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.

As a rookie, Carter won the Rookie of the Year award and made it to the All-Rookie first team. He tantalized the crowd with his aerial assaults on the rim. He had the ability to knock down jumpers and his demeanor made him a force from the moment he stepped on the court.

Vinsanity took the Raptors to the playoffs for the first time in 2000 where they lost to the New York Knicks. However, in 2001 he helped them win their first playoff series versus the Knicks.

In the semi-finals of 2001, Carter had a memorable Game 3 against the Allen Iverson-led 76ers as he scored 50 points. The series went back and forth, but in the end the Raptors fell in seven. That postseason cemented Carter as one of the bright stars in the NBA. That offseason he in an extension worth $94 million.

(2001) 17 years ago today, one of the most exciting NBA Playoff series ever came to an end when the 76ers beat the Raptors 88-87 in game 7. Allen Iverson and Vince Carter put on a SHOW during the matchup. • Iverson: 33.7 PPG. Two 50 pt games

• Carter: 30.4 PPG. One 50 Pt game pic.twitter.com/j8AWOSO6Mt — Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 20, 2018

V.C.’s served as the defacto ambassador for basketball in Canada. He made the city one in which it valued basketball as much as it loved hockey. There was also a level of appreciation from Carter and Toronto. They both grew together to the point where it became more than just a team outside the United States. Not to mention they led the league in attendance for three straight seasons in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Certainly, it was the perfect situation between both parties. However, all good things must come to an end.

In his seventh season, Carter had a desire to win and felt like Toronto was not living up their end of the bargain. This caused a divide between he, the franchise, and the fans that had grown to love him. There was speculation on if he wanted to leave Toronto, but no one knew for sure. Carter was traded in December of 2004 to the New Jersey Nets. He finished his tenure in Toronto averaging 23.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

With the injuries to his lower limbs, many were not sure what to expect from the former North Carolina product.

On all the uncertainty, Carter told reporters, “Now, with the all the injuries, I have to work harder. I’m a little hungrier. Getting a fresh start has made me want to attack the basket.”

Over the next five years, Carter would miss less than 15 games and formed quite the trio with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson. The Nets were a few years removed from their NBA Finals appearance with a team that featured J-Kidd and RJ.

Expectations were high during the 2005-06 season when they won 49 games and had the third seed out East.

Carter adjusted his game as he used his athleticism, but with a hint of class. He would take defenders on the low block where he used his strength to back them down before knocking down turnaround jumpers. Also, he became a consistent threat with his jumper as his leaping ability made it hard to deter his shot.

With all the adjustments that came after Carter’s injuries in Toronto, he could still throw it down. Alonzo Mourning learned the hard way when the Nets played the Heat in 2005 as he got the hammer dropped on him.

The Nets and Carter were exciting and showed a great deal of promise. Yet, they ran into Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal as well as LeBron James during the postseason. Wade and Shaq ended their season in 2005 and 2006 while King James did it in 2007. After the 2007 playoff exit, the Nets started to disintegrate as they sent Kidd to Dallas and, in the offseason of 2009, dealt Carter to the Orlando Magic. He finished his time in New Jersey averaging 23.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. It also marked the end of his time as a number one scoring option. From 2009 to 2014, V.C. would spend his years as an upper echelon role player in which he would average 11+ points. He played for Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas. At each location, he was playing on teams that had title aspirations. Carter’s lack of playoff success is the big knock against him. So, let’s look at who he lost to in the postseason as the big kahuna. After taking Toronto to the playoffs for the first time ever in 2000, Carter and the Raptors lost to a Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks team. The next year he lost to the aformentioned Sixers featuring A.I. The year after that he ran into a championship contending team in the Detroit Pistons. And we saw who he had to face during his time in New Jersey. Now, Carter is not absolved for his lack of success, postseason-wise. On the contrary, he ran into franchises that were better equipped for a championship run or featured a future Hall of Famer. In the last few seasons, Carter has bounced around from Memphis to Sacramento to Atlanta. Carter is currently the oldest player in the league at 41-years-old. On his current team, the Atlanta Hawks, he is averaging 6.8 points. Carter has morphed into a bench contributor, but the emphasis has been on his teaching. His experience and professionalism has been the focal point in his last few stops. Anything he scores is icing on the cake at this point. Vince Carter scores 14 PTS and becomes the 22nd player in @NBAHistory to surpass 25,000 career points! #TrueToAtlanta #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/4XLBOXNhNb — NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2018 Vinsanity recently hit a huge milestone as he scored his 25,000th point with the Hawks. He is 22nd all-time and could enter the top 20 in the next season, should he continue to play. In addition, he is seventh all-time in games played. And for his dunking prowess, he is currently eighth all-time in three-pointers made. Carter entered the league in 1998 with Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce. Like those two transcendent players, he is very much deserving of enshrinement.

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