Longtime NBA veteran and Daytona Beach local Vince Carter was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this week. The honor is just the latest in a long line of highlights in Carter’s storied career.
Long before his NBA tenure began, Carter played basketball in his hometown for Mainland High School. He carried the team to their first 6A title in over five decades in 1995. He’d later play college basketball for the University of North Carolina.
What followed was one of the longest-running and most decorated careers in the history of professional basketball. Carter’s career spanned from 1998 to 2020, during which he was named an All-Star eight times, won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2000, made the All-NBA Second Team and the All-NBA Third Team once each. He won Rookie of the Year in 1999, NBA Teammate of the Year in 2016, and the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2020.
Carter debuted with the Toronto Raptors, and went on to play for (in order): the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. He hung up his sneakers following the tumultuous 2019-20 season, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in its final months. Carter has the most seasons and games played in NBA history, though LeBron James may soon eclipse him in both.
The full class of Hall of Fame inductees will be announced this weekend, but Carter’s inclusion will likely stand as the most important for Daytona Beach residents. The 47-year-old legend currently serves as a television analyst for the YES Network’s coverage of the Brooklyn Nets.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
