After starting his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors 26 years ago, Vince Carter will be the first player to see his jersey retired. The Toronto Raptors announced today that they would retire franchise legend and NBA icon Carter’s No.15 jersey on November 2nd. The franchise is celebrating its 30th season in the league and will do so by retiring the team’s first jersey.
Sources: Raptors to retire Vince Carter’s jersey on Nov. 2.@JLew1050 has more: https://t.co/xE9Dt725ty pic.twitter.com/meRawYPVeA
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 23, 2024
Like most expansion franchises, the Raptors’ first few seasons in the league were bereft of hope until the 1998-1999 season. With the fifth pick in the draft, the Raptors would select Carter, who would change the franchise’s course. Carter came into the league and instantly made an impact on and off the court, winning Rookie of the Year and putting the Raptors on the map. He would continue his rise into superstardom in his sophomore season with his jaw-dropping performance in the 2000 dunk contest. That same season, Carter led the Raptors to their first postseason and became the first Raptors named to an All-NBA team. Carter would spend the first six and half seasons of his career with the Raptors, being named to five All-Star teams and leading the franchise to their first-ever playoff series win.
At the beginning of his career, Carter was a franchise hero and loved by the fans. This quickly changed following his trade request during the 2004-2005 season. Carter went from a beloved franchise icon to one of the team’s most vile villains. It isn’t hard to see why Carter quit on the Raptors his last season, doing everything he could to force a trade to the then-New Jersey Nets. This led fans who were once cheering for Carter to meet him with a deafening wave of boos every time he came to town. It took years for the wounds left by Carter’s decision to heal, but the fans have once again reembraced Carter. Carter has fully reembraced Toronto and plans to represent Toronto when he is enshrined as an NBA Hall of Famer.
The Raptors will retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 when they host Sacramento on Nov. 2, sources tell TSN.
Nearly 26 years after scoring the first ever basket at Scotiabank Arena, VC will be the first player in the franchise’s 30-year history to have his jersey go into the rafters. pic.twitter.com/0YGEPSPTap
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) September 23, 2024
Despite the time to heal the wounds left by Carter retiring, his jersey was still met with some internal pushback. Some within the organization believe Kyle Lowry should be the first player to have his jersey hung in the rafters. However, with Lowry still playing, Carter’s Hall of Fame induction, and the Raptors 30th season, the stars aligned. November 2nd was chosen partly to beat the Nets, who announced they would be retiring Carter’s number this coming season. The game will be against the Sacramento Kings, one of Carter’s former teams, and DeMar DeRozan, another Raptors legend.
