With his NBA-record 22nd season underway, Vince Carter sat down with NBA.com to reflect on key moments from his career, his favorite players to battle over the years and why he decided not to ring chase during his final seasons.

(Editor's Note: The following 1-on-1 conversation has been condensed and edited).

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NBA.com: Have Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki or Kobe Bryant given you any advice for this farewell tour?

Vince Carter: Nah, not yet. I plan on talking to some of my guys when I see them. But honestly, I’m just approaching it as another year. It’s still my job. I can probably honestly say whenever it’s over I’ll be like, “Dang, I wish I valued or cherished it more,” but at the same time I am valuing it and cherishing it because I’m doing what I love in the moment. That’s what I love doing. It’s kind of easy to approach it that way just because that’s what I enjoy.

Which games are you most looking forward to during this final season?

All of my former stops. [Playing] my former teams is going to be fun and exciting. It’ll be more emotions than nerves. I had great memories in every stop that I’ve played at so I think I’ll have appreciation.

With all your 1998 draft classmates retired, who are some current players that you have a close relationship with?

Kyle Lowry is one of them. Kent Bazemore. Jae Crowder. I know I’m going to forget some people, but those are some of the guys that I talk to the most that are current players. And there’s probably more, I’m gonna hate myself later on. But those are the ones I talk to the most right now where I can think of in the last two, three weeks I’ve spoken to those guys.

Speaking of that Draft, take me through that night when you found out you were being traded for your college teammate Antawn Jamison.

Literally, [former NBA commissioner David Stern] shook my hand. We took the picture. And he said, “Just stay right here, there’s about to be a trade.” So I’m back there like, damn somebody’s about to get traded. Antawn was sitting at the bottom of the steps. He was trying to tell me that we’re about to get traded, but I was like, “What, what, what?” It was so much going on because I was on stage. So when [Stern] said, “The Toronto Raptors have traded the rights …” I was like, damn that’s what he was saying.

In just one word, how would you describe your legendary dunk in the 2000 Olympics over Frederic Weis?

Clueless. I didn’t know I had dunked over him the entire game so I was clueless.

Allen Iverson and Vince Carter battled in a playoff series that went seven games in 2001.

What was it like going head-to-head against Allen Iverson in that legendary 2001 playoff series?

Going against him brought the best out of me. As far as that playoff series, it was probably one of the best in my career. I remember Game 1 just having to be sharp. I knew I had to bring it after obviously playing him in the season. I think he lit us up for 50 a couple times. So I knew what to expect. I didn’t have to be out of character, but I had to play well. I was the center of attention for [the Raptors] as he was for the Sixers. I knew I had to score, and that didn’t mean going shot for shot, point for point. Couldn’t do that. Allen Iverson is Allen Iverson.

So if he scored 55, 56, I just needed to be solid to where we could win. I think I had 42 the first game, a good night. When he scored 54 going into Game 2, my response was that we couldn’t get too far behind on this team. [Both teams] felt like the winner of that series could go to The Finals. No disrespect to Milwaukee. (Editor’s note: Carter scored 35 in Game 1, but responded to Iverson’s 54 points in Game 2 with a 50-point game in Game 3.)

Take me through your emotions the day of Game 7. I’d say it was bittersweet, but it seemed more like sweetbitter. You go to your college graduation that morning and happily earn your degree, but ended it with missing the game-winner and losing the series.

It was a great day. It was a lot going on. I wouldn’t change it. I would do it the same way again. It was one of those days where I was able to accomplish a goal -- a life-long goal, a family goal, a goal that any college student and educator would look forward to. And I wanted to cap it off by having the ultimate day. Not many people can say they hit a game-winning shot in Game 7 against the 76ers on the biggest stage.

Yeah, it’s crazy how one shot can completely change a narrative.

Yeah, and it was sad and a shame to hear and read some people say “it’s just a degree” or “you could buy that degree" or "what’s the big deal in walking [across the stage]?” That just doesn’t make sense. I walk through my front door and see my diploma every day, and that’s something that I’m proud of. Because when [basketball] is over, I still got this. I come from a family of educators. All of my family [members] are teachers of some sort in the education system.

Who was your favorite athlete to battle over your career?

T-Mac. Kobe. I played together with these guys. Kobe and I played AAU ball. T-Mac and I were obviously family, so it’s nothing like going against your superstar cousin. You can’t beat that.

Take me through your decision to give up your starting spot to Michael Jordan in the 2003 All-Star Game in his last season.

We got to All-Star weekend and I had a brief conversation with David Stern and we kind of talked about it, but I felt there was nothing to talk about. That’s just a no-brainer for me to let MJ [start]. I said the problem is going to be you guys convincing him. I just had a feeling he wouldn’t go for it. I kind of briefly mentioned it to him and said, “Hey man, you’re starting.” He said, “No, you earned that.”

So right before the lineups I said, “MJ, you are starting. Point blank period. You're starting.” And I told him I was going to walk to the back so he couldn’t make me start because I wasn’t going to be there. We went back and forth. He goes out there. I felt like once they called his name he had to go.