Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a basketball analyst for YES Network and formerly ESPN. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played power forward later in his NBA career. He was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Team selection. He is the only player in NBA history to play as many as 22 seasons and in four different decades, from his debut in 1999 to his retirement in 2020. He was the scoring leader on the 2000 United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team where the USA defeated France to win the nation’s twelfth Men’s Basketball Olympic gold medal. He entertained crowds with his leaping ability and slam dunks, earning him nicknames such as "Vinsanity", "Air Canada", and "Half Man, Half Amazing". He has been ranked as the greatest dunker of all time by numerous players, journalists, and by the National Basketball Association (NBA). In addition to his dunking prowess, he was a prolific three-point shooter, making the seventh most three-point field goals in league history.
A high school McDonald's All-American, Carter played college basketball for three years with the North Carolina Tar Heels and twice advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, who traded him to the Toronto Raptors. Carter emerged as a star in Toronto as he won the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend. He represented the United States in the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal. In December 2004, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he continued his offensive success. He also played for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. He received the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in 2016.Off the court, Carter established the Embassy of Hope Foundation, helping children and their families in Florida, New Jersey and Ontario. He was recognized in 2000 as Child Advocate of the Year by the Children's Home Society, and received the Florida Governor's Points of Light award in 2007 for his philanthropy in his home state.
Early life
Born in Daytona Beach, Florida, Carter is the son of Michelle and Vincent Carter Sr. His parents divorced when he was seven. His mother remarried at least twice.
Carter attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. He played football as a quarterback until a broken wrist in his freshman year forced him to switch to volleyball. In volleyball, he was named the Volusia County Player of the Year as a junior and averaged 24 kills per match; for comparison, none of his teammates averaged more than one. He was also offered a saxophone scholarship to attend Bethune–Cookman University in Daytona Beach.
He led Mainland's basketball team to its first Class 6A state title in 56 years, and was a 1995 McDonald's All-American. On January 31, 2012, he was designated one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans. In his senior year he averaged 22 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 blocks per game. His career totals at Mainland are 2,299 points, 1,042 rebounds, 356 assists and 178 steals. He was contacted by 77 NCAA Division I schools but ultimately chose North Carolina over Florida.
College
Carter attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
He played three seasons of college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels under Dean Smith and later Bill Guthridge. During the 1997–98 season, he was a member of new coach Guthridge's "Six Starters" system that also featured Antawn Jamison, Shammond Williams, Ed Cota, Ademola Okulaja, and Makhtar N'Diaye. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Carter helped North Carolina to consecutive ACC men's basketball tournament titles and Final Four appearances. He finished the 1997–98 season with a 15.6 points per game average and was named second-team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, and to the fan's guide third-annual Coaches ACC All-Defensive Team. In May 1998, Carter declared for the 1998 NBA draft, following his classmate Jamison, who had declared earlier that spring.
During his NBA career, Carter continued his coursework at North Carolina, and in August 2000, he graduated with a degree in African-American studies.