Noted GOAT Dunker Vince Carter Says Zion Williamson Is Going Through The Same Phase He Did

[ESPN] - “He’ll be ready [for the NBA],” Carter, the 2000 NBA slam dunk contest champion and eight-time All-Star, told ESPN. “One thing I learned when I got in this league is that yes, I’m athletic, but there’s gonna be a lot of guys up here that are athletic. What else do you bring to the table? I think he’s going through that phase, kind of what I went through. Everybody looks at ‘he can dunk, he can dunk,’ but now when you have guys that are super athletic, then they’re going to start saying, ‘What else can he do?'”

I actually find this intriguing simply because Vince Carter has been around forever and has seen pretty much everything. It’s fascinating to hear him breakdown guys when he calls Summer League games on NBATV and this is something I’m quite interested in. Zion is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory with his social media following, highlights and unique size and playing style.

Carter did go through something similar to Zion. Now, obviously people thought a bit differently with Carter but the talk was always he’s this highlight reel guy. He’s a dunker. What can he do at the next level? Can he shoot? Well, Carter is currently 7th all-time in 3-pointers, which is impressive in its own right.

We are seeing Zion showcase more than just his dunking game after game. He’s really been an impressive passer as he likes to get a defensive rebound and push. The pass he made against Kentucky in the first game will always be in my mind as he threaded the needle with a bounce pass in transition. Last night against Wake he broke the defense down in an ISO set on the wing and found the open guy from a dump down pass. That’s the impressive part about his game with his size.

Now that Carter has talked though I didn’t realize how much I want both of these guys on the same team. I need the dunks in warmups. I need the dunk contests during practices. I just really need to see Vince and Zion together dunking as two of the most talked about dunkers in the last 20 years.