Rare air: Carter joins 25,000-point club
Atlanta Hawks forward Vince Carter became the 22nd player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points on Wednesday night, reaching the milestone against the team that gave him his professional start.
Harkening back to his “Vinsanity” days with Toronto in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carter fittingly slammed home the historic points with a dunk in the final seconds of the Hawks’ 124-108 home loss to the Raptors.
The 41-year-old Carter, playing in his 21st season and his 1,423rd game, gripped the ball after it went through the rim and closed his eyes as the crowd at
State
Farm
Arena roared.
“I’m very thankful for every team I’ve played for,” Carter said. “But there’s nothing like your first.”
Carter played for the Raptors from 1998-2004, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1998-99 and the first of his eight All-Star selections in 1999-2000.
He has also played for the Nets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Magic, Kings and Suns. This is his first season with Atlanta.
Carter, who played seven seasons with Toronto, began the night 13 points shy of the mark, and the Hawks were pulling for him to reach the milestone against his former team. Afterwards, Carter’s teammates were like fans looking for souvenirs.
“All the guys tried to take everything I own,” Carter said. “All my backup shoes are gone now.”
He didn’t seem to mind. “I still love it,” Carter added. “I still love playing. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep doing it.”