Former Atlanta Hawk Vince Carter Elected to Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame Class of 2024

Jackson Caudell | Apr 3, 2024

Mar 11, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vince Carter (15) fist bumps fans after an / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

While most basketball fans will not associate Vince Carter with the Atlanta Hawks, that is where the legendary player finished his lengthy playing career. Today, Carter (along with Blazers head coach and former Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups) was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups have been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame @HoopHall Class of 2024, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Official announcement on Saturday at the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/zIX6pQgsHx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2024

Carter was drafted in 1998 and is mostly remembered for his time with the Raptors and the Nets. He became a valuable veteran presence on some teams later in his career, having stints in Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento, and Atlanta. Carter is one of, if not the best, dunkers in NBA history and made some of the most memorable dunks in the history of the game. Carter put on one of the best performances in dunk contest history in the 2000 dunk contest. 

The Hawks were in a transition when Carter joined the team. Atlanta had just drafted Trae Young in 2018 and was trying to go from a lottery team to a team that could contend for a playoff spot. Carter came back for one more season in 2019-2020, but unfortunately for him, the Hawks season was cut short by the COVID-19 Pandemic. On March 11th, 2020, Carter and the Hawks were facing the New York Knicks and that would end up being the final game of Carter's NBA career due to the NBA season being suspended and the Hawks not being invited to the NBA bubble. 

In 2018-2019, Carter averaged 7.4 PPG for the Hawks and shot 38% from the field. He played in 76 games that season, starting nine. In 2019-2020, Carter averaged 5.0 PPG and only shot 30% from three. He played in 60 out of 67 games that season. 

The Hawks are hosting the Detroit Pistons tonight, looking for their sixth win in the last seven games. With a win over the Detroit Pistons tonight, the Atlanta Hawks can officially clinch a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. The Hawks can also clinch a spot if the Brooklyn Nets lose to the Indiana Pacers tonight.