Last week, the Nets announced that Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey will go up in their rafters when Brooklyn hosts the Miami Heat on Jan. 25. Now, it turns out the high-flying UNC basketball great’s number is getting retired somewhere else first.
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On Monday morning, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reported that the Toronto Raptors “are planning to retire Carter’s No. 15 when they host the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 2.” Lewenberg added that the 47-year-old’s jersey retirement will mark the first such honor for any Raptor since the franchise’s inception 30 years ago.
Fittingly, 26 years ago, it was Carter who recorded the first bucket in what is now Scotiabank Arena.
Carter is also set to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in October.
Following a decorated three-year UNC basketball career, Vince Carter came off the board No. 5 overall at the 1998 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound “Vinsanity” showman spent seven seasons in Toronto and five with the Nets before carving out 10 more years in the league as a beloved veteran journeyman.
Along the way, he became the 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year, the 2015-16 NBA Teammate of the Year, an eight-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time All-NBA selection. He averaged over 23 points per game across his brilliant stints with the Raptors and Nets.
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