The man whose aerial acrobatics took the Toronto Raptors to new heights now has his jersey hanging from the rafters at Scotiabank Arena.
Vince Carter’s No. 15 became the first Raptors jersey to be retired, fittingly in the “It’s over” pose Carter memorably dropped at the 2000 slam dunk contest in Oakland. The recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee screamed twice to the delirious crowd before the ceremony as the crowd roared and roared in appreciation like it hadn’t for him in two decades. Maybe even louder.
“It was here where Vinsanity, Air Canada and Half Man Half Amazing was born,” Carter said before the unveiling.
Moments earlier Raptors president Masai Ujiri had said: “He is a legend, he is an icon, he is Half Man Half Amazing. He helped put Toronto on the map. He taught us how to fly. And those of us who don’t know how to fly, he taught us how to dream how to fly.”
A video tribute featured fellow iconic Raptors Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who was actually on site as the Raptors were playing the Sacramento Kings. Legend Steph Curry reminisced about playing with Carter as a child when his father Dell was a Carter teammate. NBA champion and Brampton native Tristan Thompson called him “our country’s Michael Jordan.”
Raptors co-owner, Larry Tanenbaum said, “Welcome home.”
Carter closed with a simple “thank you Toronto,” before “VC” chants rang out as he raised both hands and said “thank you” before the banner was unfurled.
“He’s deserving. It’s full circle, he’s deserving and he needs all the love and appreciation because he changed the game for Canada basketball for sure,” DeRozan told Postmedia after his pre-game workout.
Carter sat courtside for the first half of the game beside Tanenbaum and Tanenbaum’s wife, Judy.
You couldn’t walk the lower hallways of the arena without running into a former Raptor there to support Carter. Big men Kevin Willis, Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams were on hand, along with guards like Muggsy Bogues, Alvin Williams, Dee Brown, Doug Christie (there with the Kings) and Morris Peterson, amongst others. Charles Oakley even arrived just in the knick of time as the ceremony was starting. Toronto traffic and all of that. Three former Raptors head coaches were in the building, with Dwane Casey taking it in with his family, Kings associate head coach Jay Triano working and Sam Mitchell on the TSN broadcast.
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Carter’s mother Michelle was also in the house, along with his wife Sondi, daughters Kai and Vayle, son Vince Jr. and other family members. Carter memorably brought his son up on stage with him during a pre-game media session to help him through an emotional part of the appearance.
Carter had reflected pre-game about how he was feeling about the cathartic experience of going from living legend, to hated turncoat to beloved (by many, if not all) over two decades and change.
Carter played the first 403 of his 1,541 games in the NBA with Toronto and remains the franchise’s all-time points per game, player efficiency and box plus/minus leader.
“I know people saw me grow up as a 21 year old to leaving a 27 year old and finishing as a 43 year old — do that math — it’s been emotional. It’s been emotions. People have their feelings towards me and about me and about my family, about my friends and whatnot and towards the organization,” Carter said. He then referenced the thaw which culminated in a 2014 appearance while with the Memphis Grizzlies. A tribute video was played that night and the usual boos from the crowd turned into cheers, surprising nobody more than Carter himself. Carter said until then, nearly 10 years after his trade to New Jersey, he could not imagine a day like Saturday ever happening.
“To get to 2014 where you see a change and people really saying, ‘Well, maybe I overreacted (to hating him).’ However you feel or not feeling at all to where we are today … (It) has been a lot of emotions for all of us,” Carter said.
“And I say all those feelings are splattered on that Carter, 15 (jersey going up) tonight. And it’s gonna sit in that arena — forever,” he said.