He was the face of the franchise until he wore out his welcome. Once he was mercifully traded away in December 2004, he became public enemy number one whenever he returned. Now, nearly eight years after the Toronto Raptors traded him, Vince Carter’s name is linked to a possible return to the city where his NBA career first took off.
This past Tuesday, Vince Carter was a guest on TSN Radio 1050 with host James Cybulski. There, Carter wasn’t inclined to beat around the bush as he expressed his interest in finishing his career with the Raptors.
“If [Toronto] gave me the opportunity, I don’t even think I’d let them finish the question. Yes. I’m in,” Carter said.
The Raptors were in Dallas the following night to take on Carter’s current team, the Mavericks. Thanks in large part to the former Raptor’s 6-14 at the field and 17 points, the Mavs were victorious winning 109-104.
As flattering as the sentiment seems, why would the Toronto Raptors be inclined to welcome Vince Carter back with open arms after the way he left? A near-decade has passed and I’m sure that Carter, now 35, has since matured. While he was still very effective with the New Jersey Nets, his role became limited since moving on. In his stops at Orlando and Phoenix, Vince Carter wasn’t the same type of threat he once was playing for Toronto. After reaching a career-high in points with 2,070 in a season (once with the Raptors and again with the Nets), the once-called “Air Canada” accumulated 1,244 points during the 2009-10 season with Orlando, his lowest total since his rookie campaign of 1998-99. Vince Carter has yet to duplicate that total since.
With the 14-year veteran suddenly expressing an interest to return to the site where it all began, there’s been unfathomable discussion in regards to the possibility of the Toronto Raptors retiring Carter’s #15. I consider such a discussion unfathomable because as productive as he was in addition to contributing to put Toronto and its team on the basketball map, Vince Carter, as far as I’m concerned, hasn’t done enough to have his number retired.
While the protocol to raise a number to the rafters varies depending on the organization, usually multiple championships or an example of class and integrity would warrant such a privilege. But Vince Carter did neither of those for the Raptors. Instead, after a brief window of success, the Raptors fell by the wayside as Carter put himself first ahead of the team while faking injuries whenever he had the chance.
In spite how long it’s been since he’s donned a Raptors jersey, Vince Carter still gets booed when he returns to the Air Canada Centre. While many would argue that Raptors fans need to get over it, many would also argue that the latter part of Carter’s tenure had that negative an impact on the franchise.
Even during the Raptors’ most successful times, Vince Carter was still a negative presence. After the franchise’s lone playoff series win in 2001, Carter and the Raptors went the distance with a Philadelphia 76ers team led by the polarizing Allen Iverson. Prior to seventh and deciding game of the series, however, Carter decided to fly a private jet to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, and attend his graduation. “Will he or won’t he?” referring to whether or not Carter will attend his graduation became a more important question than “Will they or won’t they?” referring to whether the Raptors can beat the favourite 76ers to advance to their first-ever conference final.
The date was May 20, 2001. While Carter attended his graduation, he was able to fly back to Philadelphia in time for the start of Game 7. The Raptors and Sixers fought tooth-and-nail and with the home team up by a single point in the dying seconds, none other than the newest graduate shot to win the game. He missed and the Sixers held on for the 88-87 win en route to The Finals where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
After Carter missed the shot, it looked as if he laughed it off. Would he have been better prepared had he not attended his graduation? As important as education is, isn’t it worth considering that maybe, just maybe, the University of North Carolina could have postponed their ceremony a day or two? While the Raptors lost a heartbreaker, the summer ahead would provide plenty to cheer about.
Prior to the summer of 2001, many experts considered Vince Carter too talented to remain in Canada believing that the game would serve him best if he played in the United States in a bigger market such as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. Yet, to the relief and utter joy of Raptors fans everywhere, Vince Carter signed a contract extension to stay in Toronto. Antonio Davis, who had also helped turn the Raps into a near-contender followed suit. Then, the Raptors signed future Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon who despite being at the tail end of his career, was counted on to provide a plethora of leadership and experience which included two championship rings. Never before had the Toronto Raptors been so strong, so prime for a serious championship run. Yet, all that promise was quickly followed by immense disappointment.
Olajuwon went on to have an injury-plagued 2001-02 campaign before retiring at season’s end, Antonio Davis struggled and Vince Carter simply took the money and ran never to be as effective with the Raptors as he had been the few seasons prior.
Justifiably, Carter’s character and dedication were constantly called into question. It seemed that whenever Carter landed after taking a shot, he would tweak his ankle. Coaches found themselves at their wit’s end with the star from his frequent injuries and his tiresome tirades. When Carter was dealt to New Jersey in 2004, the collective response was hardly shocking: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
While a lot has changed in the last eight years, the fate of the Toronto Raptors has held the status quo. While the team has since returned to the playoffs, they have failed to win a playoff round since 2001. For a brief time in the early part of the millennium, the Toronto Raptors were a force to be reckoned with yet that was gone almost as quickly as arrived.
Had Vince Carter had an impact on the Raptors akin to Kobe Bryant’s with the Lakers, Karl Malone’s on the Utah Jazz or the aforementioned Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets, we would surely be singing the praises of the former Raptor. Instead, we’re left scratching our heads as to why Vince Carter would even consider returning to the franchise he wounded before leaving them in the dust.
While his presence may prove beneficial as a mentor for the younger players, Vince Carter’s return to Toronto is unnecessary to even consider let alone put into action. The idea of bringing Carter back to Toronto is asinine enough but to even think of retiring his number, especially since multiple players have worn 15 since, is simply repugnant.
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Ryan Cowley is a writer at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter @RyanACowley.
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