After 22 Seasons Vince Carter Officially Calls It A Career

This isn't exactly shocking news, we all knew this announcement was coming eventually. But there was a part of me that was holding out the tiniest sliver of hope that given how his final NBA season ended that Vince Carter would say fuck it and bring it back one more time for a 23rd NBA season. Granted, he already owns the record for most NBA seasons in a career and is the only player who has played in four separate decades, but watching him play he clearly has some left in the tank

His role as the vet on that Hawks team was perfect. It really sucks that the whole hiatus happened and we never got to see him make his final stop in Toronto which he was scheduled to do in early April. That's why I feel like whenever the Raptors have their first TNT game or wherever Carter is going to end up on TV that he has to be assigned that game. He deserves that moment with TOR fans now that they've squashed their beef.

So now that it's all said and done, here's where the career of Vince Carter ranks all time

3rd in GP

21st in FGM

12th in FGA

6th in 3PM

5th in 3PA

45th in FTM

74th in AST

44th in STL

22nd in PTS

146th in REB

8x All Star

2x All NBA

Rookie Of The Year

Not too shabby in my opinion. He's a lock for the Hall Of Fame, and what's crazy is I guarantee there are stoolies reading this blog right now that have never taken a breath on this earth with Vince Carter not being in the NBA. Shit, he was in the league for over 2/3 of my life. It feels weird that there will be an NBA but Vince Carter won't be in it. You know if he wanted one more year the Hawks would obviously give it to him too.

What I always respected about Vince Carter as he aged was he never wanted to ring chase. The idea of going to GS and riding their bench for a ring was never an option for him. I don't think anybody would have blamed him since that ring is the one thing his career is missing and plenty of HOF caliber vets do it, but that wasn't Vince. He would rather be a mentor and give back to a young team while also actually being able to play. 

One of the best to ever do it and one of the most influential players of the 2000s, Vince Carter had one hell of a career. Now queue the goddamn highlights!