Vince Carter (43) has announced the end of his career after 22 years in the NBA. This was announced by Carter in his podcast “Winging it with Vince Carter”.
“I’m officially finished playing professional basketball,” said Carter. Already last year, when he signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks, he had made it clear that the 2019/2020 season could be his last.
Carters Hawks (20-47) are among the eight teams that won’t end the season at Disney World Orlando, which means Carter’s season – and career – ended in March. In the podcast released on Thursday, he admitted that the abrupt end was “hard”: “I’m not saying that I knew it since March 11th. Not since that day, but almost.” However, Carter also emphasized that he did not regret his decision, especially against the background of the corona pandemic.
Carter is number 19 in NBA history after scoring points and was the league’s rookie of the year in 1999. He averaged 16.7 points per game and played for eight different teams, including the Raptors and the Nets. He is also considered one of the best dunkers in NBA history – his appearance at the Dunk Contest 2000 is legendary.
On March 11, he played his last career game in the Hawks’ 131-136 loss to the New York Knicks. The fact that his last threesome ended up in the basket also helped him. “I think if I hadn’t scored the goal it would have been different,” said Carter: “I would have been itching to come back again and play for at least a minute, or at least make a throw.”
Vince Carter: The stages of his career
| Season | Team |
| 1998 – 2004 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2004 – 2009 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2009 – 2010 | Orlando Magic |
| 2010 – 2011 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2011 – 2014 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2014 – 2017 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2017 – 2018 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2018 – 2020 | Atlanta Hawks |
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