Vince Carter Says He Hopes Raptors Retire His Jersey

Sacramento Kings swingman Vince Carter, 40, is busy in his 20th season in the NBA on his seventh different team, but he is still remembered for his time with the Toronto Raptors in the early portion of his career. 

He expressed his desire for the first NBA franchise he ever knew to honor those memories by one day retiring his jersey in a Thursday diary entry he wrote for Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated:

“Of course, I'd like for [the Raptors] to retire my jersey. You'd always like your jersey retired. That is where it's started. There have been talks about it. People talk about it, and I'm very thankful for it. But for me, I try my best not to think about it because I am still of service in this league. At the end of the day, every player's end result is to see their jersey hanging in the rafters somewhere. That is where it started. Hopefully I will get that opportunity."

Carter played for the Raptors from 1998 through 2004, when they traded him to the then-New Jersey Nets.

NBA.com called feelings between Carter and the city and its fans at the time of the trade "raw," noting he was previously the franchise's "most popular and perhaps most successful player."

According to Spears, the return of former Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins to Sacramento prompted Carter to reflect on his time with the Raptors. The Kings fans cheered Cousins, although Spears noted Toronto fans "booed strongly" the first time Carter returned with the Nets in 2005.

That doesn't take away from his lengthy list of accomplishments in Toronto.

He won the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year, made five All-Star Game appearances while on the team, was a member of an All-NBA Team twice and spearheaded the Raptors in multiple playoff series, including a memorable seven-game battle with Allen Iverson and the eventual Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers.

He also turned in arguably the most iconic Slam Dunk Contest performance in history in 2000 when he beat out teammate Tracy McGrady and the rest of the field.

Spears pointed out Toronto fans finally cheered Carter when he returned in 2014 as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. What's more, Evan Sporer of Sporting News detailed the documentary "The Carter Effect," which explored Carter's impact on Toronto's sports landscape and the inspiration he provided for others while on the Raptors.

It seems like the natural progression would be toward a retired jersey, which is exactly what Carter hopes.