Carter airs it out on time with Raps
Nobody besides Vince Carter has made it to season 22 in the NBA, so it’s not surprising the former Toronto Raptors legend has had some time to reflect on his career.
He’s thought a lot about what could have been had he and Tracy McGrady stayed put in Toronto and it was particularly hard not to flash back to earlier times when he and McGrady were doing some broadcast work in June when the Raptors beat Golden State to bring the NBA title north of the border for the first time.
After Toronto beat Carter’s Hawks in Atlanta Saturday, we asked him what it felt like to see the Raptors actually win a championship. And like so many Raptors fans have said, his answer was it felt extremely surreal.
“I was (in Oakland), so it was crazy. I thought of being drafted there. Coming in. Being a part of the first playoff team (which was swept 3-0 by the New York Knicks),” Carter said.
“When we won that first series (also against the Knicks), it was like, ‘OK, we’re going to the second round.’ And I miss that shot in Game 7 and it’s like, ‘Oh we could have, you don’t know ...,” Carter said, trailing off as he reimagined the possibilities for what must be about the fifth dozenth time since 2001.
“Because obviously the team that we lost to ended up in the finals that year. The Sixers played the Lakers, so it was just so close. So to now actually be there, I remember with about a minute or so left in the game, I turned to Tracy and he turned to me: ‘I can’t believe this is about to happen.’
“Like the reality, things that Tracy and I talked about (as Raptors teammates), sitting in hotel rooms arguing about whatever we argued about. Video games at the time we played, about trying to figure it out and it actually happened.
“So it was pretty cool to actually be there and not have to see it on TV.”
NO REGRETS FOR CARTER
As much as the famous missed shot against the Sixers still stings, Carter insists it’s just one part of his journey.
He pointed out he sees the 22 years as all coming together to form a whole to get him this far.
Interestingly, Carter specifically mentioned his ridiculous, clutch three-pointer from the 2014 playoffs as the yin to the yang of the Raptors’ miss. Though the Mavericks would lose the series to Kawhi Leonard and the eventual NBA-champion San Antonio Spurs, with just under two seconds left Carter had given the Mavericks a 2-1 series lead with his improbable shot, which followed Manu Ginobili putting the Spurs up by two.
“(There are) lessons that I’ve learned from each decade that I still cherish. I think sometimes we always want the good, but I think we learn a lot from painful situations,” Carter said.
“So each decade has been good and bad, but it’s all worth it. I’ve had things that I’m very proud of and there’s times that I wish I could take back like that shot that I missed. I wish I could have that back. But in my mind, I got redemption playing for Dallas when I made the shot against San Antonio. So it’s so many great things, ups and downs that I’m very thankful of.”
Carter is slated to make two more appearances in Toronto before he finally calls it quits: On Jan. 28 and on April 10, the fourth-last game of his career.
THEY THE NORTH
A quick look at the top Canadians in the NBA this season:
Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota
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Timberwolves): Has he finally figured it out? He’s having a career year.
Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets):
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Game looks more well-rounded in Year 4.
Shae Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma
■ City Thunder): Averaging 19.3 points as the new king of Oklahoma City.
R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks):
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Averaging 15.1 points as rookie face of New York.
Kelly Olynyk (Miami Heat):
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Veteran playing strong ball for surprising Miami.
Tristan Thompson (Cleveland
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Cavaliers): Huge bounce-back season ahead of new deal.
Cory Joseph (Sacramento
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Kings): Helping Kings stay afloat with De’Aaron Fox injured.
Dillon Brooks (Memphis Grizzlies):
■ Solid starter shooting nearly 39 per cent from deep.
Brandon Clarke (Memphis Grizzlies):
■ Doing a bit of everything in first year.
Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks):
■ Shooting 64.5 per cent from the field, 33 per cent from three.
Chris Boucher (Toronto Raptors):
■ Energizer who has earned minutes even when Serge Ibaka returns.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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(New Orleans Pelicans): Rookie has wowed at times, struggled at others.