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Raptors fans not happy a rival's retiring Vince Carter's jersey before Toronto

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
May 15 2024, 4:05 pm
Raptors fans not happy a rival's retiring Vince Carter's jersey before Toronto
Brooklyn Nets

Toronto Raptors legend Vince Carter is getting his jersey retired next season… in Brooklyn.

“It’s official: we’re raising Vince Carter’s jersey to the rafters next season,” the Brooklyn Nets shared in a video today, announcing their plans to honour the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and hang his No. 15 at the Barclays Center.

There are just a few problems with the whole ordeal.

For one, Carter never played for the Nets in Brooklyn, moving to the Orlando Magic in 2009-10, after five seasons for the New Jersey Nets, who relocated in 2012.

Secondly, the move seems to somewhat contradict Carter’s own plans of how he’d like to be celebrated during his Hall of Fame induction process.

“Toronto, Toronto, Toronto. It has to be, it’s where it all started,” Carter said on a February episode of FanDuel’s Run It Back show of what team he’d be most representing in the Hall of Fame. “Yes, I had great years in [New Jersey], but it started there.”

And lastly, the retirement seems to break a bit of an unwritten rule that would allow the Raptors to lead the way in honouring the player best known for his time in Toronto.

Raptors fans, as you’d expect, responded accordingly.

But despite no official announcement yet, Toronto has hinted at how they’d like to honour Carter.

“It’s a secret,” Toronto president Masai Ujiri said in response to a question asked by Daily Hive at his end-of-season press conference, a video the Raptors themselves later shared.

Perhaps complicating matters, Ujiri had said before on record that Kyle Lowry’s jersey would be the first one into the Scotiabank Arena rafters, though we’ve seen time and time again in sports that plans can always change.

Despite not divulging specific plans, the Toronto exec did praise the Hall of Fame talent.

“I didn’t know too much about what went on here, but I know everybody is moving on and I hope the fans can [move on] and we can embrace an unbelievable player that really set a tone and set a pathway for all of us to be where we are today,” Ujiri said.

Carter, who played for eight teams over his time in the league, capped off his illustrious NBA career as third in all-time games played (1,541) and No. 20 on the league’s all-time points list (25,728).

“Love him, he’s the best,” Ujiri added. “Everything, just like we’re going through here, has ups and downs… I think what Vince has done as a player, not only the length of his career but how he’s carried himself [is impressive].”

Carter will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, with the festivities taking place on August 16 and 17.

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