Kevin Garnett Wasn't Too Impressed With Vince Carter's Legendary Olympic Dunk

Zachary Draves | Aug 5, 2024

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Kevin Garnett is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Vince Carter's dunk over 7 foot 2 Frederic Weis of France at the 2000 Sydney Olympics remains an iconic gem.

It would later be referred to as the "Dunk of Death".

However, Kevin Garnett, one of his Olympic teammates, seemingly wasn't too excited as everyone else. In an interview with SLAM Magazine, Garnett said he wasn't celebrating Carter's dunk when he approached him.

"Congratulate him? Nah," he said. "I was just giving him some pointers. His form was off, he barely cleared the defender, and he only dunked with one hand."

Garnett later added some additional humor when referencing former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Isaiah Rider.

"I told him Isaiah Rider wouldn't have gone out like that" he said.

Carter became a highlight reel in 2000 with his explosiveness dunks including at the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend. The one most people talk about was at the Olympics.

When asked to describe the dunk, Carter joined in on Garnett's jokes by downplaying it.

"Which dunk? Oh, the one where I jumped over the guy? Don't worry, I won't pull out some tired stuff like that in the gold medal game, that's for sure," Carter said.

No matter how many attempts are made to minimize the "Dunk of Death", it will forever be one for the ages.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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