Carter `put Toronto on the basketball map'

A Raptors star who played 22 years in NBA, Air Canada is headed to hoops hall of fame

The man who once was the biggest star in the NBA while wearing a Toronto Raptors uniform is heading to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Vince Carter, Toronto's career points-per-game leader and an all-star in five of his six full seasons with the Raptors, will be inducted this year along with another former Raptor, Chauncey Billups, The Athletic's Shams Charania first reported on Wednesday.

The official announcement is expected Saturday at the NCAA'S Final Four.

Carter was the first Raptor to make the all-nba team (third team in 1999-2000, second team in 2000-01), made eight all-star appearances, memorably won the 2000 slam dunk contest and played an Nba-record 22 seasons despite battling injuries early in his career.

Carter was named NBA rookie of the year after bursting onto the scene in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. A franchise coming off a 16-win season that was a total mess and had lost its first star, Damon Stoudamire, owner (John Bitove) and boss (Isiah Thomas), was revived by Carter, who nearly instantly became a must-see nightly act.

The team started winning games thanks to Carter, his cousin Tracy Mcgrady and several newly acquired veterans, and Carter quickly became known as Air Canada and Half Man Half Amazing for his above-the-rim game.

Later, he would add a deadly three-point shot to his jaw-dropping athleticism. By his second season, the Raptors were in the playoffs, Carter threw down an epic dunk at the Olympics on the way to a gold medal for the United States and, by Year 3, the Raptors were a Carter missed shot away from the Eastern Conference final.

Of course, a bad breakup followed 20 games into Carter's seventh season with the Raptors.

As injuries mounted and management piled up mistakes, Carter did not look like the same player, averaging only 15.9 points in those final games, compared to 27.5 upon being dealt to the New Jersey Nets in one of the worst trades in NBA history.

Carter never really accepted blame for his role in the debacle and was booed viciously for years by Raptors fans despite all of the love and appreciation he had previously built up.

His heel turns (39 points in a Nets win in his first game back) and in a playoff series win by the underdog Nets in 2006 didn't help matters.

Eventually things softened between Toronto fans and the former favoured son. Carter was moved to tears, mouthing “wow” when given a standing ovation in Toronto as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies just shy of a decade after his departure. As another Raptors icon, Kyle Lowry, said at the time of the moment: “It was unbelievable. I think the city is still grateful for what he did. At the end of the day, he put Toronto on the basketball map.”

In February, Carter spoke of his connection with Toronto during an appearance on Fanduel's Run it Back podcast. Though the basketball hall doesn't have plaques with inductees wearing a specific team cap, Carter said if they did honour just one team affiliation, the Raptors would be the obvious choice.

“Toronto, Toronto, Toronto,” Carter said.

“I mean, it has to be. It's where it started. Yes, I had great years in Jersey, but it started there. My confidence and understanding the player that I could be in the league was trending upwards still in Toronto.”

The class of 2024 will be enshrined Aug. 16-17 in Springfield, Mass.