Trae Young on Vince Carter's Impact on Young Hawks Players: 'We Call Him Yoda'

As a young player in the NBA, Trae Young has turned to Vince Carter for guidance during their two seasons as teammates with the Atlanta Hawks.  

In an interview with Ernie Johnson, Young explained that the other Hawks players "call him Yoda" because he "has all the knowledge in the world."

Carter, 43, knows the NBA's evolution from a slow, methodical game in the 1990s to the fast-paced, wide-open style of today better than anyone. 

Drafted No. 5 overall in 1998, Carter became the first player in NBA history to play a game in four different decades when he checked into the Hawks' January 4 game against the Indiana Pacers. 

The 2019-20 season also marked Carter's 22nd in the NBA, breaking a tie with Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Dirk Nowitzki for the most in league history. 

Carter's words of wisdom appear to have rubbed off on Young. The second-year point guard was named to his first All-Star Game this season, and he ranks second in the NBA with 9.3 assists per game and is tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo for third in scoring average (29.6). 

Given the uncertainty around the rest of the NBA season due to the coronavirus pandemic, there's a chance Carter has played his last game in the NBA. The North Carolina alum told ESPN's Rachel Nichols on The Jump last June he would retire after this season.