IT MUST BE THE SHOES
MICHAEL JORDAN’S GAMEWORN AND AUTOGRAPHED AIR JORDAN 1’S BRING $560K
Carter was drafted shortly after Michael Jordan played his last game for the Chicago Bulls. Both were highflying North Carolina Tar Heels drafted near the top and charged with changing the fortunes of historically doormat franchises. They even had the same Olympic number.
Naturally, comparisons and hype as “the next Jordan” were thrust onto Carter’s shoulders, albeit without consent.
“For a while it wasn’t fun and I worried about what people were saying—listening to them say I should be like this or that,” Carter told Sports Illustrated. “I made it clear, I just wanted to be the next me. I didn’t want any part of being the next Michael Jordan. He’s the greatest player to play the NBA game. Let him be that. I’m OK being me.”
Carter never lived up to the Jordan billing – which, let’s be honest, is the most unfair expectation to throw on someone. But what he did do is bridge the Jordan Era to the current generation.
Carter will retire having played in 22 seasons over the course of four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s).
When his legs lost their pop, he became a respected 3-point shooter. When it was time for the younger players to get their minutes, he stepped aside and mentored them. He never chased a ring. Once the game’s most electrifying player, he became its greatest steward.
In the end, he wasn’t M.J., he was V.C. And that’s enough for a spot in Springfield, Massachusetts.