Vince Carter made his retirement official Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career, the longest in league history, has come to an end.
The announcement was largely a formality because Carter, 43, had said many times over the course of this season that this would be his last in the NBA. He became the first NBA player to appear in four different decades.
“Vince Carter has had an indelible impact on the NBA with his remarkable skill and enduring commitment,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who praised Carter as “a true ambassador for the game.”
Carter appeared in 1,541 NBA games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) on the league’s all-time list. He started his career in Toronto, then played for New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and spent his last two seasons with Atlanta.
Carter’s first season was the 1998-99 campaign, which was shortened to 50 games due to workplace disputes. His final season was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, and the Hawks will not be among the 22 teams heading to the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, next month for the planned resumption of the NBA game.
“It’s a great situation for me because I came to the league in a shorter season and I walked away from the league in a shorter season,” Carter said on the “Winging It” podcast. “So for me, it’s kind of a unique situation.”
Carter scored 25,728 career points, 19th in NBA history.
The Hawks quickly praised Carter for what he has done, not just in two years with Atlanta, but for the entirety of his career.
Throughout his historic 22-year journey spanning four unprecedented different decades, his evolving career arc was perhaps unlike any other in league history: from the Top 5 Draft Pick to the Rookie of the Year, Slam Dunk Champion, superstar and eight-time Twyman-Stokes All-Star, teammate of the year and valued role player, ”the Hawks said in a statement.
Carter’s last game was March 11, a competition the Hawks lost at home in overtime to New York. By the time the game was ending, the NBA had already announced that it would suspend the season at the conclusion of that night’s play after Utah center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league to test positive for the coronavirus. .
The moment was not lost for Atlanta fans, who chanted “We want Vince!” repeatedly with 19.5 seconds remaining in overtime and with the Knicks victory clearly decided. Carter re-entered the game at that point, got the ball to Trae Young and then continued the play as the Hawks headed onto the court.
Young turned the ball over to Carter, who took an unopposed triple. The shot came in, Carter threw his arms up into the sky and the watch ran out a few seconds later.
What many suspected would be the case that night that came true: the watch had also run out in Carter’s career.
“There were times, probably in April, and I thought, ‘Man, I wish this didn’t happen like this,'” Carter said. “And then after a while, I thought, ‘It is what it is.’ I was once able to put that aside and say, ‘Retire, Vince. You can go play golf now,’ has been easier.”
Carter was an eight-time All-Star selection, was rookie of the year in 1999, won the dunk contest in 2000, and helped USA Basketball win gold medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, highlighted by his dunk over French. 7-foot-2 center Frederic Weis – and the 2003 FIBA Americas tournament. He played college basketball for three years in North Carolina, beginning his career there with Dean Smith, and Carter’s retirement means there are no more players coached by Smith. in the NBA.
“Half man, half amazing, ALL class!” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce wrote on Twitter in a message to Carter. “It has been an honor and a privilege for me to work with you.”
Carter said he will still play basketball, for fun. He was long expected to be chased by television networks as an analyst, something that has dabbled in the NBA Summer League in recent years.
“I officially finished playing basketball professionally,” said Carter. “I will play at home.”
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