NBA Legend Vince Carter Will Have His Jersey Retired Next Season
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MARCH 04: Vince Carter #15 of the New Jersey Nets reacts during the final seconds of their loss to the Boston Celtics during their game on March 4, 2009 at The Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
So far, 2024 has been a year of milestones for Vince Carter.
Carter will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, and on Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets announced they will be retiring Carter's No. 15 during the 2024-25 season.
Carter, who was acquired via trade with the Toronto Raptors in December 2004, spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Nets when the franchise was still in New Jersey.
During his tenure, the high-flying shooting guard/small forward made three All-Star games and helped the Nets reach the postseason three times, including a pair of Eastern Conference semifinal appearances. He averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game with New Jersey.
The Nets eventually traded Carter to the Orlando Magic following the 2008-09 season, along with Ryan Anderson, in exchange for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee.
Carter will be the seventh player to have his jersey retired by the Nets. His former teammate, Jason Kidd, whose No. 5 hangs in the rafters at Barclays Center, helped announce the honor to Carter in a surprise video.
"It's pretty dope man. Because it's forever up there. It's 'Nets, 15, Carter.' Can't use it again," Carter said in response to the news.
Carter will go into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a Toronto Raptor, the team he spent the first seven seasons of his career with, but it's clear that having his number retired by the Nets is a major honor.
Carter retired following the 2019-20 season, having scored 25,728 points in 1,541 career games for eight different teams.
