Vince Carter defends Toronto despite "ups and downs" with Raptors

While things with the Raptors and Vince Carter didn’t always go smoothly, the same can’t be said about his feelings for Toronto.

Last week, Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard made headlines for his comparison of Toronto to the other 29 NBA cities.

“Great city, but it’s not America, and you feel it when you’re there,” Broussard said on last Monday’s edition of First Things First. “Especially as an African American, it’s a different situation than African Americans are used to being in… I’ve talked to people in that organization pre-Ujiri about can they keep African American superstars there?”

On the self-named VC Show with Vince Carter, he addressed his time with the Raptors as well as Broussard’s comments.

“I’ve had my ups and downs with Toronto for whatever reasons, being traded and all that, but one thing Toronto is not is an awkward city for an African American,” Carter said on the episode. “It’s just so far-fetched and it kinda bothered me because I spent six years there and seeing it grow to what it is now. When you go there now, you don’t feel like, ‘I’m in some foreign country and I don’t know how to function.’ Everywhere you go feels just like being in the States.”

Carter was the Raptors’ first superstar, playing on the team from 1998 to 2004 before being traded to the New Jersey Nets after a long standoff with the team.

Carter also addressed the idea that the Raptors couldn’t retain their star players.

“I re-upped there. There’s other players who re-upped there. There’s players that are dying to get to Toronto, saying that Toronto was one of the best-kept secrets — which I’m well documented saying that 20 years ago,” Carter said. “It’s just disappointing to hear that. Where do you get that information from? What players have you quoted? Is that your personal opinion?”

Carter isn’t the first NBA personality to have a reaction to Broussard’s comment.

Former NBA veteran and current ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson called Toronto a top-5 NBA city while expressing his enjoyment every time he’s visited. Meanwhile, Current Raptors forward Chris Boucher even called Broussard a goofy-ass boy for his take.

“I can’t put one word to describe what Toronto did for me, but I know they did a lot and that’s one thing I’m grateful about,” Boucher added in a press conference last week after signing a three-year contract.

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