Vince Carter is undoubtedly the best dunker. In the first round, he was drafted to the NBA in 1998 as the 5th pick selected by the Golden State Warriors. He was excited to be in the first round and be a part of a well-established team. In just days of being drafted, he was introduced to the business side of basketball. The Toronto Raptors traded the rights of the fourth, Antawn Jamison, for the rights of Vince Carter. The Raptors were a relatively new team with only four seasons at the time. Fan interest in the team was low but Vince was utilized to shape the identity of the Raptors Franchise and the team itself.
As a Shooting guard, he brought a whole arena to their feet in awe at his performance and dedication to basketball. His dunks and skills gave him the nickname “Air Canada”. He was also awarded Rookie of the year.
Vince Carter is said to have put the Raptors on the map in the United States. The Toronto Raptors were an expansion team that was established in 1995. The franchise went from barely being able to sell out an arena to selling out back-to-back games in Vince’s first year on the team. Tracy Mcgrady was also a basketball prodigy and was later found out to be Vince’s cousin. They were a dynamic duo that made the Raptors well-known by many.
The All-Star game of 2000, is when Vince made history in the dunk contest. He performed a 360 windmill dunk that lead the whole arena, the referees, the judges and commentators stunned. The building gave him a standing ovation. Each dunk left the crowd in shock.
In 2000, Vince Carter played in the Olympics representing the USA. His performance was nothing less than exceptional. Most notably he dunked over a seven feet and two inches tall player. He earned an Olympic gold.
Carter was consistently being compared to Michael Jordan in his career. His dunks were just as iconic as Jordan’s. I believe Michael Jordan was a great all-around player but there is only one Vince and only one Michael. Vince did not mind being compared however he hated when people said Michael is the better dunker. His response when making being compared while being interviewed was that “ You can’t give Michael everything”.
His last game was very emotional for the NBA, his fans and supporters. Vince Carter had the longest NBA career. He played for 22 seasons with eight teams: the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and the Atlanta Hawks. He retired at the age of 43 in 2020. He now works for ESPN as a basketball analyst.