Vince Carter Shares Message for Raptors Fans Not Ready to Move On

Former Toronto Raptors legend Vince Carter asks for a moment of unity as the organization honors his No. 15 this season

NBA Hall of Famer and former Memphis Grizzly Vince Carter speaks during the Danny Thomas Celebrity-Am held in conjunction with the FedEx St. Jude Championship at the Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tenn., on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. / Jamar Coach / The Jackson Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sometimes it's OK to be irrational.

That's what sports fandom is all about. Love and passion for what is essentially a group of men running around in the same color uniform. They have no real connection to the city — no real connection to you. And yet, sports fandom makes you feel a certain way.

That's why the pain was so real for so many when Vince Carter asked to leave the Toronto Raptors in the winter of 2004. To those who grew up idolizing Carter, his departure was heartbreaking.

The truth of what happened behind the scenes and who's to blame for how Carter left in 2004 depends entirely on who you ask. The fact of the matter is everyone is at fault for how the end of his tenure transpired. But to Raptors fans in the mid-2000s, it was Carter who became public enemy No.1.

For some, Toronto's decision to retire Carter's No. 15 isn't going to sit right. They know how they felt 20 years ago when Carter forced his way out and was traded for pennies on the dollar to New Jersey. Those fans have defaced Carter jerseys and Carter bobbleheads in their bedrooms, unwilling to move on from the past.

But for others, time heals all wounds.

"I think all of us get better," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said Friday as the Raptors announced a $1 million refurbishing of the Vince Carter court in Dixon Park. "As people, you just get better. As people you forgive and that’s life and that’s the way life should be."

Carter knows the reaction to the announcement and the ensuing ceremony on Nov. 2 when DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings come to town will be split. He knows there will be plenty of fans supporting him as his number is raised and a few who can't move on.

To those fans, he asks for a moment of respite.

"This is a great opportunity for the organization — this is an organization that’s never had somebody in this position before — so let’s have an appreciation, a celebration," Carter said. "Let’s come together for a change. We have a great opportunity. This is something that’s never happened before. So let’s celebrate it moreso than turn our nose up at it."

The past decade has helped most fans move on. The 2017 movie "The Carter Effect" highlighted the impact Carter had on basketball in Canada and began the long process toward reconciliation between Carter and the Raptors faithful.

"Time heals everything," said Raptors center Kelly Olynyk who grew up idolizing Carter. "Sometimes you have to forget the bad and recognize and realize all the good that (he) did for this country and this franchise and organization and town."

It's OK if Carter's legacy is complicated — most legacies are. What he did for basketball in Canada and for the Raptors organization is indisputable. At the same time, though, it's reasonable to feel how you felt back then and how you may still feel now.

Carter wants to move on.

"To be honest with you, this is what I wanted more than anything for that," he said. "I had six crazy years here, period. And for those who know me ... you know my love. It’s just hard to articulate it."

For those who can't quite forgive, that's OK too.