LeBron James and Vince Carter

Today at 11:46 PM

It’s no secret that the Toronto Raptors‘ decision to retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 is viewed contentiously amongst the fanbase.

There are those who support “Air Canada” — the franchise’s leader in points per game and tied for most All-Star nods — being the first to have his number hung up in the rafters, but there are also plenty of deniers who can’t forgive Carter for his unceremonious exit.

But on Friday, after his Los Angeles Lakers handed the Raptors a 131-125 loss, LeBron James made it clear which side of the fence he falls on.

“It makes all the sense in the world,” James said to reporters when asked about the Raptors decision to retire Carter’s jersey. “With what he’s done for this franchise, the impact that he had in the community, the way he changed how basketball is looked at in Canada, well deserved.”

If anyone can understand and appreciate the impressiveness of Carter’s 22-year career, it’s the ageless James who’s currently in his 22nd season, showing little signs of slowing down.

The four-time MVP put up yet another vintage performance against the Raptors — who he now holds a career 57-18 record against, the most by an opposing player in franchise history — scoring 27 points with six rebounds and 10 assists.

It extended James’ streak of reaching double figures in points to a remarkable 1,228 consecutive games. Coincidentally, that run began in Jan. 2007 against Carter and the New Jersey Nets.

James and Carter shared 17 seasons in the league together, collecting their fair share of highlight-worthy plays on a night-to-night basis. When James speaks on “Half-man, Half-amazing” and the impact he’s had on the game of basketball, it’s clear he’s speaking from a place of first-hand experience.

In fact, James and his company Uninterrupted produced The Carter Effect, a 2017 documentary that chronicled the impact of Carter and the legacy he left on the game of basketball in Canada.

When asked about his favourite memories of the Raptors’ six-time All-Star, James referenced Carter’s 50-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2000-01 playoffs and of course, the iconic 2000 dunk contest performance.

"There's a ton, there's too many to name … obviously the dunk contest. When he shut down the dunk contest," James continued.

The Raptors will officially retire No. 15 and hang it up in the Scotiabank Arena rafters on Saturday night when they host DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings.

“Congratulations to ‘Vinsanity,’ rightfully so.”