Vince Carter is finally being honored.
The Toronto Raptors will reportedly retire Carter’s No. 15 on Nov. 2 when the Sacramento Kings come to town, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reported Monday. The announcement comes on the heels of the Brooklyn Nets’ decision to retire Carter’s jersey this year as the legendary dunk contest champ and eight-time All-Star enters the Basketball Hall of Fame next month.
Carter’s jersey will be the first retired by the organization with Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 expected to come once he retires from the NBA. He’ll join 19 members of the Toronto Maple Leafs who have had their numbers honored in the rafters of Scotiabank Arena.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri hinted that some sort of celebration would take place this year to honor Carter in conjunction with Toronto’s 30th season in the NBA. The Raptors are planning special events throughout the year to celebrate their three decades in the league.
Carter spent parts of seven seasons in Toronto after being the No. 5 pick in the 1998 NBA draft. The Raptors acquired Carter in a draft-day trade with the Golden State Warriors that saw the No. 4 pick Antawn Jamison sent to Oakland.
The 6-foot-6 guard became an icon synonymous with Raptors basketball thanks to his high-flying acrobatics and legendary 2000 dunk contest. He’s widely credited with helping to grow basketball in Toronto and across Canada, inspiring a generation of Canadian children to follow in his footsteps.
Carter’s tenure with Toronto ended in controversy as he maneuvered his way into a disasterous trade with the New Jersey Nets in 2004. The trade will go down as among the worst in franchise history. It led to years of Carter being booed whenever he returned to Toronto.
The 47-year-old retired from the NBA in 2020 after 22 seasons in the league.