carter_vince
09/27/2024 02:14 PM
The Toronto Raptors will raise Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey to the rafter at Scotiabank Arena, making him the first player to have his number retired by the team.
The Raptors made the announcement Friday at the newly revitalized Vince Carter Court in Dixon Park located in Etobicoke, Ont., that the ceremony will take place on Nov. 2.
"It is an honour to come back to Toronto, a city I will always consider a second home, to be a part of today's court unveiling and to work with the Raptors and MLSE Foundation to provide community facilities for the youth of Toronto that will help create important opportunities for them in the future," said Carter, according to a release issued by the team. "I was extremely grateful when the Raptors informed me of their plans to retire my jersey in November in the arena that gave me my start in the NBA and was the home of so many special memories for me. I look forward to sharing that moment with my family, friends and the Toronto fans who made my time with the Raptors so memorable."
Carter spent the first six-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Raptors following a draft day trade with the Golden State Warriors in June 1998.
He instantly became the face of the franchise and won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1999.
"The Carter effect is real. It was Vince who inspired kids across Toronto and Canada, who got a basketball into their hands and inspired them to take flight, as he did so many times in our jersey. He helped us take the steps our franchise needed — a playoff win. A playoff series win. Capturing the attention of the world in an unbelievable dunk contest," Raptors vice-chairman and president Masai Ujiri said in the same release. "Now, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we honour our past, and it's fitting Vince's iconic number 15 will hang as the first jersey in franchise history to be retired, high above the court where he captured our imaginations and helped us dream big. Vince, thanks for your contributions and for the memories you've made for so many of us."
Carter played in the All-Star Game six times as a Raptor and electrified as the NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion in 2000.
He holds a franchise-record average of 23.4 points per game.
After his 22-year playing career, the longest in NBA history, Carter was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April and will be officially inducted in a ceremony on Oct. 13.
The court was originally built in Dixon Park back in 2003 by Carter's Embassy of Hope Foundation, the Vince Carter Court was recently refurbished by MLSE Foundation, with support from the City of Toronto.
