Atlanta Hawks forward Vince Carter made his retirement official Thursday, announcing on his podcast that his 22-year NBA career, the longest in league history, has come to an end.
The announcement was largely a formality because the 43-year-old Carter had said many times over the course of this season that this would be his last in the NBA. He became the league’s first player to appear in games in four different decades.
“Vince Carter has made an indelible impact on the NBA with his remarkable skill and enduring commitment,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who lauded Carter as “a true ambassador of the game.”
Carter appeared in 1,541 games, behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) on the league’s all-time list. The Daytona Beach, Florida, native who was a McDonald’s All American in high school and starred in college at North Carolina started his professional career with the Toronto Raptors as a No. 5 overall draft pick. A trade in 2004 sent him to the Nets – still in New Jersey – and he then played for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings before spending his final two seasons with Atlanta.
Carter’s first season was the 1998-99 campaign, which was shortened to 50 games because of labor strife. His final year was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, and the Hawks will not be part of the 22 teams headed to Florida next month for the planned resumption of the 2019-20 season.
“It’s kind of a cool situation for me because I came into the league on a shortened season, and I walk away from the league on a shortened season,” Carter said on the “Winging It” podcast. “So for me, it’s just kind of a unique situation.”
Carter scored 25,728 points in his career, which ranks 19th in NBA history. The Hawks quickly lauded Carter for what he has accomplished.
“Throughout his historic 22-year journey covering an unprecedented four different decades, his evolving career arc was perhaps like none other in league history – from Top 5 Draft Pick to Rookie of the Year to Slam Dunk Champion to superstar and eight-time All-Star to Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and valuable role player,” the Hawks wrote in a released statement.
AP photo by John Bazemore / Atlanta Hawks guard Vince Carter waves to the crowd as he leaves the court after a home game against the New York Knicks on March 12. Carter announced his retirement Thursday, an expected move but one in which he did not get to play a full season due to the NBA shutting down in mid-March amid the coronavirus pandemic and the Hawks not being included in the resumption of the season next month in Florida.Carter’s last game was March 11, a contest the Hawks lost at home in overtime to New York. By the time that game was winding down, the NBA already had announced that it was suspending the season at the conclusion of that night’s play after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league known to test positive for the coronavirus.
The moment was not lost on Atlanta fans, who chanted “We want Vince!” repeatedly with 19.5 seconds left in overtime and with the Knicks’ victory clearly decided. Carter checked back into the game at that point, inbounded the ball to Trae Young, then trailed the play as the Hawks headed downcourt.
Young flipped the ball back to Carter, who took an uncontested 3-pointer. The shot went in, Carter threw his arms skyward and the clock ran out on the game a few seconds later. What many suspected would be the case that night became reality: The clock had run out on Carter’s career, too.
“There were times, probably in April, I was like, ‘Man, I wish this didn’t happen like that,'” Carter said. “And then, after a while, I was kind of like, ‘It is what it is.’ Once I was able to kind of put that aside and say: ‘Retire, Vince. You can go and golf now,’ it’s been easier.”
Carter was an eight-time All-Star selection, was rookie of the year in 1999, won the slam dunk contest in 2000 and helped USA Basketball win gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics – highlighted by his dunk over 7-foot-2 French center Frederic Weis – and the 2003 FIBA Americas tournament. He played college basketball for three years with the Tar Heels, starting his career there under Dean Smith, and Carter’s retirement means there are no more Smith-coached players left in the NBA.
“Half Man, Half Amazing, ALL class!” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce wrote on Twitter in a message to Carter. “It’s been an honor and a privilege for me to work with you.”
Carter said he will still play the game of basketball – for fun. It has long been expected that television networks will pursue him as an analyst, something he’s dabbled in during NBA summer league contests in recent years.
“I’m officially done playing basketball professionally,” Carter said. “I’ll play at home.”