Vince Carter (Part 3)

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9 Mar 2024

Vince Carter (Part 3)

Orlando Magic (2009–2010):

Traded to the Orlando Magic in 2009, Carter joined the team with the aim of providing perimeter scoring support for center Dwight Howard. He showcased his offensive prowess with a season-high 48 points in a memorable comeback victory against the New Orleans Hornets. Despite helping the Magic reach the Eastern Conference Finals, they fell short against the Boston Celtics in a hard-fought series.
Phoenix Suns (2010–2011):

In 2010, Carter joined the Phoenix Suns, where he reached the career milestone of 20,000 points while recording impressive performances, including a 29-point, 12-rebound game against the New York Knicks. Despite his contributions, Carter was waived by the Suns in 2011 following the NBA lockout.
Dallas Mavericks (2011–2014):

Signing with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Carter reunited with former teammate Jason Kidd. He became known for his three-point shooting prowess and surpassed NBA legends like Larry Bird in career scoring. Carter's clutch performances, including a game-winning three-pointer in the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs, showcased his enduring impact on the court.
Memphis Grizzlies (2014–2017):

Joining the Memphis Grizzlies in 2014, Carter continued to demonstrate his value with game-winning plays and consistent scoring. He contributed to memorable victories, such as a triple-overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs, while climbing the ranks on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

During the 2015–16 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Vince Carter faced limited playing time initially but proved his enduring value with impactful performances when given the opportunity.
Despite appearing in just one of the Grizzlies' first 12 games, Carter showcased his scoring prowess on February 24, 2016, surpassing Charles Barkley in career points scored. He followed this up with a season-high 19-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers two days later, highlighting his ability to contribute offensively.

In the latter half of April and throughout the first round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, Carter's role expanded as he was inserted into the starting lineup. He rose to the occasion, delivering a team-high 16 points in Game 1 against the Spurs, although the Grizzlies ultimately fell short, losing the series in four games.
Despite the team's playoff exit, Carter's impact went beyond statistics. His leadership, selfless play, and mentorship qualities earned him the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award for the 2015–16 season, recognizing his commitment to his team both on and off the court. This award reflected Carter's reputation as a respected veteran and valuable asset to any team he played for.

On July 10, 2017, Carter inked a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Sacramento Kings. During the Players Voice Awards on August 18, 2017, Carter was recognized by the NBA Players Association as the Most Influential Veteran. He encountered a setback early in the season, missing seven games due to a kidney stone. However, on December 27, 2017, Carter showcased his prowess by scoring a season-best 24 points in a 109–95 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This marked a historic moment in NBA history as it was the first instance of a 40-plus-year-old reserve notching at least 20 points in a game. He demonstrated remarkable efficiency, shooting 10-of-12 from the field in 30 minutes off the bench, with an impressive 83 percent shooting, the second-highest of his career. Another milestone came on January 28, 2018, when Carter and Manu Ginóbili combined for 21 and 15 points respectively against the San Antonio Spurs, marking the first time in NBA history where two players over the age of 40 each scored at least 15 points in a game. Later, on March 19, 2018, despite a 106–90 loss to the Detroit Pistons, Carter contributed seven points to surpass Patrick Ewing and claim 22nd place on the NBA's career scoring list. As the season concluded, he was honored with the NBPA's Backbone Award and Most Respected Award as part of the Players Voice Awards.

On August 24, 2018, Carter finalized a deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Making his debut for the Hawks on October 17, 2018, Carter commenced as a forward and tallied 12 points in a 126–107 loss to the New York Knicks, marking him as the second oldest player in NBA history to start a season opener at 41 years and 264 days old. Only Robert Parish, at 42 years and 65 days old, preceded Carter as an older opening-night NBA starter. On November 21, he contributed 14 points off the bench in a 124–108 loss to the Toronto Raptors, simultaneously becoming the 22nd player in NBA history to achieve 25,000 career points. This milestone, occurring in the game's final moments, was particularly memorable as it was punctuated by a slam dunk and occurred against his original team, eliciting congratulations from them on the court.

On December 29, he matched the team-high with 21 points in a 111–108 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking his first game with 20 points for Atlanta and establishing him as the oldest player in history to lead or tie for the team lead in scoring, at 41 years and 337 days old. Additionally, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record by 6 days to become the oldest player in NBA history to score 20+ points. On February 7, 2019, against the Raptors, Carter surpassed Jerry West for 21st on the NBA's all-time scoring list. March 1, 2019, saw Carter logging the second-most minutes for the Hawks in a 168–161 quadruple-overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls, setting a record as the oldest player in NBA history to play at least 45 minutes in a game at 42 years old. March 4 brought another milestone as he scored 21 points, all on 3-pointers, in a 114–113 loss to the Miami Heat, surpassing Reggie Miller for 20th on the all-time scoring list and Jamal Crawford for sixth on the all-time 3-point field goals made list, while also breaking his own record of being the oldest player to score 20+ points in a game at 42 years old. March 31 witnessed Carter surpassing Karl Malone for fifth place on the all-time games played list with his 1,477th game against the Milwaukee Bucks.