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Vince Carter, Former 22-Year NBA Veteran and Magic Guard, Inducted into Hall of Fame

Vince Carter's 22-year NBA career was forever immortalized in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday night. While a short stint of his long career was spent with the Orlando Magic, his contributions were still immense.

Mason Williams

Class of 2024 inductee Vince Carter speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield.
Class of 2024 inductee Vince Carter speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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Vince Carter's many monikers – Vinsanity, Half-Man/Half-Amazing, Air Canada and so on – added another permanent title on Sunday evening: Hall of Famer.

Carter, along with Chauncey Billups, headlined a 13-member 2024 class of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees in Springfield, Massachusetts.

An eight-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year, Carter's career spanned 22 years as a player with eight different franchises. His superior athleticism wowed crowds everywhere he went, and his ferocious slams – both in-game and in dunk contests – were a sight to behold.

One of those eight teams Carter suited up for was the Orlando Magic, whom he spent his age 33 season with in its entirety and started his age 34 season with. He's the only player in NBA history to have a career spanning four decades, and is also a two-time gold medal winner with USA Basketball – finishing atop the podium at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2003 FIBA Americas Championship in San Juan.

With the Magic, Carter appeared in 97 games and started 96, averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game. His one full season with the Magic came the year after the franchise's second-ever trip to the NBA Finals, finishing the year with a loss in the Eastern Conference Finals. That year, 2009-10, Orlando was 59-23 and featured four double-digit per game scorers: Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Carter and Jameer Nelson.

The Magic wished Carter well on social media following his official enshrinement:

Over his entire career, in which he spent the most time with Toronto and New Jersey, he played 1,541 games and made 982 starts. His final season came in the 2019-2020 season with the Atlanta Hawks, walking off the court one final time at 43 years old.

Orlando Magic guard Vince Carter looks on from the bench
Orlando Magic guard Vince Carter (15) looks on from the bench during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center. The Bucks defeated the Magic 96-85. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Carter, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida, enters the Hall to join family. His cousin, former 16-year NBA legend and former Magic player Tracy McGrady, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 as a player.

He joined his cousin and fellow Hall member on stage in celebrating Carter's enshrinement on Sunday evening.

Both the Raptors and Nets will honor Carter with jersey retirement ceremonies for his No. 15 this season.

Watch Vince Carter's Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech, courtesy of NBA

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