Vince Carter, known as “Half Man, Half Amazing,” has achieved basketball immortality. The former Nets star was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
Carter, the only NBA player to compete in parts of four decades, holds a record 22 seasons in the league filled with iconic moments: winning the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, the famous “Dunk of Death” over Frederic Weis in the Olympics, and the memorable posterization of Alonzo Mourning.
Despite playing for eight teams, Carter is most associated with the Nets and Raptors. Earning the “Half Man, Half Amazing” nickname, Carter is widely known for his high-flying acrobatics as a dunker. He ended his professional career averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.1% behind the three-point line, as reported by CBS 17.
Spending 22 seasons in the NBA, he became an eight-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.
“I had a great support system,” Carter said Saturday at a news conference ahead of his induction on Sunday. “I had veterans and I was willing to ask questions. I was willing to ask questions because I wanted to learn.”
On January 25, the Nets will retire Carter’s No. 15 jersey, raising it alongside those of Jason Kidd and Julius Erving.
Last Sunday, Carter joined them in the Hall of Fame. He was among 13 inductees recognized during an enshrinement ceremony at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
