Vinsanity is back.
With Vince Carter in town to celebrate the rededication of a basketball court in north Etobicoke that his foundation built back in his heyday, the Raptors have put up Carter jerseys all around Toronto.
The memorable jerseys — the purple and black one Carter sported when he won one of the most iconic NBA slam dunk contests ever in 2000 — have been spotted at various locations, with the Raptors supplying photos of some of the placements.
The most striking shot might be of a Carter jersey hanging at the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place. There are also photos of one at Ripley’s Aquarium, at Union Station, some on corporate buildings, a mall and more.
All of this was to foreshadow the franchise’s decision to make Carter, its first superstar, the first Raptor to have his jersey retired, which team president Masai Ujiri confirmed on Friday afternoon.
TSN first reported the news of the October ceremony earlier this week, and the team has been dropping hints ever since that it would probably become official with Carter in town. On Thursday, the Raptors tweeted a list of all the players who have had jerseys retired by two NBA franchises. They left the 15th spot blank — Carter wore No. 15 in Toronto. The Brooklyn Nets previously announced plans to retire Carter’s jersey as well.
Carter, 47, will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month. He’ll be introduced by former Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady, who already is in the Hall, and by Julius Erving, the man he wanted to succeed Glen Grunwald as Raptors general manager. Had that happened, Carter’s messy exit would likely not have happened.
The Dixon Park court was first refurbished by Carter’s Embassy of Hope Foundation in 2003. This December will mark 20 years since Carter was dealt to the New Jersey Nets in the worst trade in franchise history and one of the worst in the NBA ever.
The MLSE Foundation and City of Toronto spent $1 million to fix up and improve the Dixon Park courts, adding the Raptors North Legacy Courts.
Carter, Ujiri, and City of Toronto and MLSE officials were be on hand for the rededication ceremony later Friday, along with some Raptors players and community youth.
“The Carter effect is real. It was Vince who inspired kids across Toronto and Canada, who got a basketball into their hands and inspired them to take flight, as he did so many times in our jersey. He helped us take the steps our franchise needed — a playoff win. A playoff series win. Capturing the attention of the world in an unbelievable dunk contest,” Ujiri said in a release before speaking at the ceremony. “Now, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we honour our past, and it’s fitting Vince’s iconic number 15 will hang as the first jersey in franchise history to be retired, high above the court where he captured our imaginations and helped us dream big. Vince, thanks for your contributions and for the memories you’ve made for so many of us.”
Added Carter in the release: “It is an honour to come back to Toronto, a city I will always consider a second home, to be a part of today’s court unveiling and to work with the Raptors and MLSE Foundation to provide community facilities for the youth of Toronto that will help create important opportunities for them in the future.
“I was extremely grateful when the Raptors informed me of their plans to retire my jersey in November in the arena that gave me my start in the NBA and was the home of so many special memories for me. I look forward to sharing that moment with my family, friends and the Toronto fans who made my time with the Raptors so memorable.”