Vince Carter Breaks Down Discussing Jersey Retirement Ceremony

Toronto Raptors legend Vince Carter broke down into tears as he talked about his jersey retirement ceremony on Saturday

Oct 13, 2024; Uncasville, Conn, USA; Class of 2024 inductee Vince Carter speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Vince Carter cares.

Maybe he didn’t always act that way. Maybe he was young and didn’t realize it all those years ago when things ended the way it did with the Toronto Raptors. But these days, the emotions are clear.

“I was always taught and I always believed that when you appreciate something and it means something, this is how you react,” said Carter as he fought back tears Saturday evening ahead of his jersey retirement at Scotiabank Arena. “So I’m going to react like this. Every time. Believe it.”

Carter spoke for over 30 minutes Saturday ahead of his jersey being hoised into the rafters at Scotiabank Arena. He was repeatedly moved to tears as he discussed the emotions of the moment and the legacy he's left on basketball in Toronto.

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Unexpected

It wasn't supposed to go this way.

For a long time, any celebration of Carter's time in Toronto seemed inconceivable. Even when the Raptors honored him in 2014 for the first time since his infamous departure, the tribute video the organization aired was preceded and followed by a chorus of boos. To say Toronto despised Carter would be an understatement. He was among the most vilified former players in Toronto sports history.

"I’ve been patient and I’m going to continue to be patient because I understood a long time ago if you have an appreciation for something, love something like you do, people don’t see it, be patient, because it’s going to shine through," Carter said.

The first acknowledgement in 2014 was a turning point for Carter who was then a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. It was part of the reconciliation process and the acknowledgment that both Carter and the Raptors own a portion of the blame for the trade that sent him to New Jersey and how his final year in Toronto transpired.

"I just remember taking a step forward and being in my bubble And just enjoying the moment, because that was one of the first times," Carter said. "So throughout those years leading up to it, you see highlights and videos, and I've enjoyed those moments, but it's something about seeing those highlights in this building because that's where it was created."

The Impact

The Canadians that have come through Toronto lately have all talked about Carter's impact. He was the one who inspired RJ Barrett and Kelly Olynyk to pursue the sport, who helped Jamal Murray fall in love with the game as a child, and who mentored Tristan Thompson to achieve his basketball dreams.

But for so long, Carter didn't entirely realize his impact.

"I had an idea, but today is not like back in the day," he said. "I didn't understand that, or know, until, obviously, years later, when you starting to hear players, former campers, articulate that to you. It's like, ‘wow, I was a 21-year-old wanting to be the best version of myself.’ That's it. I just wanted to play. I just loved to hoop."

It was at that exact moment that Carter realized the impact he had on so many Raptors fans and why there still remain so many who feel ambivalent toward him. The intense appreciation they had for him turned when he left Toronto the way he did.

"I understand that's possibly where the frustration came from," he acknowledged. "Because that guy that we're starting to like is now moving on. But I always told, especially close friends, like you can have your frustrations, but understand the whole story before you articulate your anger, particularly if you don't really know what was really going on."

Legacy

The past couple of months have been a whirlwind for Carter who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame early last month and now will have his jersey retired not just by the Raptors but by Brooklyn Nets in January as well.

"I'm not experiencing this by myself. I'm experiencing this with family, friends, strangers. I know it's my day, but you've heard me say it a couple of times, and I'm gonna keep saying it, you're gonna hear it again tonight: This is our day," Carter said wiping tears from his eyes. "It's our day however you feel about this moment, what transpired, or even me. This is our day, and that's about legacy."