Vince Carter gets sincere message from Michael Jordan for HOF induction
10/12/2024 10:16 PM
NBA Legend Michael Jordan showed love to Vince Carter for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan shared kind words with Carter. a fellow UNC Tar Hill alumnus and fraternity brother as both are members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.
"Congratulations man."
Michael Jordan to #24HoopClass inductee, Vince Carter pic.twitter.com/WCshExyfGk
— NBA (@NBA) October 13, 2024
Jordan embraced Carter and said, "Congratulations man," in a moment captured by the NBA account on social media.
Vince Carter’s career is certainly worthy of Hall of Fame honors. The Golden State Warriors selected him with the fifth pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he established himself as a marquee name in the basketball world. Carter was an eight-time NBA All-Star and had a memorable performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest that won him the competition.
Carter was known for his overpowering athleticism and flashy dunks. In addition to his NBA career, he was a member of the 2000 Team USA Olympic basketball team that won gold in Sydney. There, he completed one of the most famous dunks of all time and arguably the best slam of his career over 7’2″ Frédéric Weis. The slam is affectionately called the "Dunk of Death."
"To me that's what I felt was the right thing to do."
Vince Carter recalls the moment in 2003 where he gave Michael Jordan his starting spot in the final NBA All-Star Game of MJ's career. #NBA75pic.twitter.com/9ZjRFZIpVn
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 9, 2022
Carter shared a special moment with Jordan in the 2003 NBA All-Star game. The game, hosted in Atlanta, Georgia that season, was Jordan’s last All-Star game. The then-Washington Wizards guard was selected to be an All-Star reserve but Carter gave up his spot so he could get the opportunity to shine in the All-Star game one last time.
“To me, that’s what I felt was the right thing to do,” Carter retold. “Go to the man himself and give him that position. Now, when I did that, Michael tells me no. He’s like ‘No, you earned it. You go ahead.’ I said, ‘Mike, look here. I am not walking out here on this court tonight and starting on this court and you’re sitting on the bench.”
Jordan also gave a young Vince Carter great advice early in his career about handling the hype that came with his immense talent per comments to the New York Post.
“It's funny, when this whole thing with the All-Star Game (VC gave up his starting spot), they're trying to build up the hype between the two of us playing our first game against each other, he just pulled me aside and said, "Hey, be yourself, do what you do. Everything else'll take care of itself." He came up to me and said that. It was just pretty neat.”
Vince Carter did just that and now he’ll be immortalized in basketball history. The 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Ceremony takes place on Sunday evening.
The post Vince Carter gets sincere message from Michael Jordan for HOF induction appeared first on ClutchPoints.
