Rewind 10 Years: How Vince Carter Became Famous

This video is a prerequisite to reading this article.

Back then there were six contestants.  Steve Francis, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Larry Hughes, and Jerry Stackhouse. 

Nobody remembers anyone in this contest besides Vince Carter, and T-Mac (because he passed the ball to Vince).

The Slam-Dunk Contest was running a trial run, after canceling the contest for two years.  They decided to keep it after seeing the display that Vince Carter put on.

Vince Carter was going to play the next day in the All-Star game, the first of eight straight appearances. 

His career was made because of this .  He got a six-year, $94 million contract in the summer of 2001.  He was a three-time top vote getter for the All-Star game, plainly because people wanted to see him.  That is the theme of his career.

Take the '04-'05 season as an example.  He averaged 16/3/3.  He got an All-Star appearance.  This situation has recently been dubbed "The Iverson."

To contrast, Deron Williams has basically averaged a double-double for three years, and never played in the All-Star game.  And I guess Richard Jefferson is good too, and he never made it.

It started off with a 360-windmill.  Then a reverse 360-windmill from behind the basket.  Then a bounce-pass-alley-oop from T-Mac, which he took through the legs.  Then the forearm in the rim.  Then the two handed dunk (his worst one).

He started a renaissance of highfliers.  Desmond Mason took the next year.  Jason Richardson took two years after that.  Josh Smith was dunked in a vat of harmful chemicals sometime around then.

This year's All-Star game marks the 10-year anniversary.

The day when Vince Carter became Vinsanity.