New York – When Vince CarterThe numbers 6, 12 or 23 were not the preferred numbers for a freshman basketball player at a mainland school in Florida, and he took some advice from his mother, Michelle.
“My mom told me, ‘Find a number and make it famous,’” Carter said.
Carter and his No. 15 man reached new heights once again when Brooklyn window He retired it at the end of the first inning of their game Saturday vs Miami Heat.
Carter’s family, former Nets teammates, former coach Lawrence Frank, team president Rod Thorn and fellow retired Nets Julius ErvingBill Melchioni and Buck Williams He was on hand to see Carter become the seventh Nets player with his number retired.
“This is truly something that captivated me and I will cherish forever,” Carter said during the ceremony. “To be number seven going up is crazy. It’s an honor to be there with you gentlemen.
“No. 15 Carter goes up there, but we go there.”
Carter spent the game sitting next to Erving, his childhood idol. Former teammates Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson Send congratulatory messages, as stars in the New York area did Eli ManningQueen Latifah and rapper Fabolous.
Carter’s number banner will reside directly next to Kidd’s No. 5, which is appropriate since they were drivers of one of the most successful eras in team history. Carter also credited Kidd for revitalizing him after the Nets acquired Carter from Toronto Raptors In December 2004.
“There was a new life,” Carter said of coming to New Jersey. “My role in Toronto was give me the ball, I’ll get you [basket]. But when I got here, they had a guy…who made the game easier for me.”
Although he played only 374 games over four seasons with the Nets, Carter holds the team record for single-season points (2,070 in 2006-07) and ranks third in team history in total points (8,834). He ranks fourth in 3-pointers made (638) and playoff points (701).
He helped the Nets reach the postseason three times, and they twice won playoff series before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference champions ( Miami Heat In 2006 and Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007).
“During that era, they could never get to the top, so they’ll probably never be recognized the way they should have been,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who was an assistant at Miami when it won the league title in 2006. This was a good basketball team, and… [Carter] He was a big part of it.”
Carter, who was in his first season as a television analyst for the Nets, retired in 2020 after 22 seasons in the NBA at age 43 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
“I love seeing how his game developed when he first came in,” Spoelstra said. “From just being flexible to being impossible [player to] A guard…then he was able to be one of the few in this league who could move safely. This is really amazing. It speaks to the human type.”
Despite playing 11 seasons after being traded to New Jersey to Orlando Magic In 2009 and spending time with eight NBA teams, Carter said some of his best days came with the Nets.
“We had fun, but we understood when it was time to lock in,” Carter said. “We hung out and really enjoyed each other and played for each other, and that’s what made the game fun.
“I went out and did my job and had a good time doing it.”
