After a record-breaking 22 seasons in the NBA, Vince Carter has announced his retirement from the league. The 43-year-old guard played eight teams during his historic run, and finishes with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks themselves released a recognition and small tribute to Carter on Thursday afternoon via Twitter.
Carter was drafted with the fifth overall pick in 1998 by the Golden State Warriors, then was immediately flipped to the Toronto Raptors. During his time with Toronto, he won Rookie of the Year, and earned five of his eight All-Star appearances.
Perhaps most memorably, Carter won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest with what most agree is the most exciting showing in the history of the competition.
He holds many records in addition to just the age-related ones. He still owns the playoff record for three-pointers in a half (8). Unfortunately, in his 22-year career he never made it to the NBA Finals. Strangely, four separate times in his career, he was traded to a team that had an NBA Finals or Conference Finals appearance within two seasons of his arrival. Yet, still never collected his ring.
Carter will be the last player drafted in the 1990s to ever play in the NBA.
Featured Image courtesy of USA TODAY Sports
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