Basketball fans bring up his name often this time of year, and for good reason: Vince Carter is perhaps the most memorable dunker ever.
After winning NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999, the former No. 5 overall NBA Draft pick won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2000. It was probably the best show we have ever seen during All-Star Weekend.
He was also named an All-Star in that season and then made seven more consecutive appearances during his professional career. Ultimately, it ended with Carter earning a spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2024 after playing 23 seasons in the NBA.
Carter, who recently had his jersey retired by the Nets and the Raptors, currently has the third-most NBA games played — just one ahead of LeBron James.
For The Win caught up with the basketball legend — now a studio analyst for TNT — to discuss NBA All-Star Weekend and other various subjects around the league.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What is your relationship like with the NBA Slam Dunk Contest these days?
© Jed Jacobsohn
I hate to use the word pressure. But when you think of All-Star Saturday, my social page is HOT. It’s burning. It gets a lot of hits and questions. So are my text messages. Over the years, I tend to take a step back and just sit in my own hole and watch from afar. People ask my opinions on what is happening and what can be done and how can we fix this and what do I think about this, and it’s too much. I want the performers to go out there and live in the moment and do their thing how they perceive it.
I think everyone feels they should have the excitement like I did. It hasn’t been there. But I got the opportunity to speak to the four contestants. During my conversation with them, I became excited with their “want” to be in the contest and put on a show. That is what the contest is missing. We’re looking for the superstars of today to be in it. OK, cool. Well, that’s not happening right now. We have to take baby steps, just like anything in the world.
If these four contestants go out there and put on a show, to see their status boom, they’ll appease the people. People will feel good about what they watched, and that’s been missing for a good amount of time. People took it for granted that they were in the dunk contest. But these guys seem like they are going to put their best foot forward, and that is what I tried to do and what all of the contestants of my years and a couple years after, too.
Look at what Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon did. We know Aaron Gordon didn’t win but it didn’t hurt his brand by any means. These guys, from conversation, want to go out there and put on a show. They wanted to be in this contest and that’s the start of hoping to snag some of the stars of today for the excitement and what it can do. Some guys are superstars and what they do for their teams have them on a pedestal. But everyone wants to get that iconic status, and everyone wants to take whatever superstardom they have and advance and go to the next level because they can. In my opinion, All-Star Saturday can do that.
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What are your plans for NBA All-Star Weekend?
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
So my first time as a part of NBA All-Star Weekend since 2007 in Las Vegas was last year in Indianapolis. It had been a long time. I just want to watch from afar. I got an opportunity to be a part of eight of them. I had some wonderful moments, including one of the biggest moments of my life was All-Star Saturday Night on February 12, 2000. It will be pretty cool to go back to the city where it all took place. People knew of me. But I was catapulted to another level because of what took place that night. We also have a celebration in Toronto on February 12 of that All-Star Weekend and moment.
But also, Tracy McGrady and I will have an opportunity to be back in that building of our dunk contest. I know that the attention sways back to me. Tracy and I got to do that together, though. We’ll be back in that building again living in the moment. It’s great to hear T-Mac has a great appreciation for it 25 years later because dating back to that actual date, leading up to the contest, he still did not want to do that dunk contest. We had our mishaps trying to get into the building and on time. But once we stepped foot inside, it went from him not wanting to do it to putting on a pretty darn good show. It took me to another level. It’s something I dreamed of all my life.
Now we get to look back on what we did and over the course of the past 25 years, many of the dunks from that contest have been used in some sort for him and for myself through the years. That is a huge honor itself. Another generation has paid homage to us and even thinks to tribute us in their dunks and take it to different levels. It’s cool to watch.
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What can you tell me about your Bills ownership group with T-Mac?
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
It’s pretty cool. Dating back to 2000 and us being teammates and then coming around and forming this group and getting the opportunity to do this, not only are you getting the opportunity but great things are in the world. This team was one catch away from potentially being in the Super Bowl. What comes out of it? Josh Allen still won MVP. We have a new stadium on the horizon. With that being said, we have free agency.
Just like in any sport, when free agency comes around and you have a young MVP who is thirsty for that opportunity, you can snag some players who can better your offense and your defense. Hopefully, we will sit in that Super Bowl in San Francisco next year. And oh my goodness, that fan base. I was at the Super Bowl this year. There are a lot of teams that can claim they have the best fans. You hear athletes say it about their fans. But no, no, no. I think Bills Mafia is next level fandom. It’s been great to see and be a part of so far.
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You were in a major trade in your career. What advice would you give to those in recent blockbusters?
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
I’m going to tell you this. This can resonate for Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic as well. I would tell them: Show them your worth. We heard reports that both guys were upset about it. OK, well, don’t sulk in it. Go show your worth. Unfortunately, AD got hurt in his first game so he has some time to get healthy. But for Luka, he can go out there and dispel a lot of narratives. If you get to a new team, you are typically excited and you have a new life and new energy and new perspective. You have a willingness to do some things you weren’t willing to do or listen to or whatever the case may be with other teams. This is a chance to better yourself.
He is already a superstar. AD is a superstar. However, you can always have this conversation with someone for motivation. Go out there and carry the new team. For me, my motivation was to prove my worth that I still can do it and I’m still who people thought I was or I’m better than what people perceived me not to be anymore. That’s my personal motivation to those two guys.
You joined a team that already had Jason Kidd. What will that be like for Luka with LeBron?
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
LeBron’s message to Luka was pretty much what was told to me. When you go to a team, regardless of how big of a superstar or where you’re ranked in terms of the best players in the league at the time, you’re still trying to fit in. It’s a natural thing, particularly when you have other stars on the team like LeBron. He’s not trying to overdo it. He’s trying to find his way. You can go through as many practices leading up to your first game as you want to. Until you go out there and play and see it and feel it, it takes time to understand and feel comfortable. Jason Kidd pulled me aside and said: “Damn all that. We brought you in to be you.” I think that’s what is told to Luka.
I think in Anthony Davis’ case, it’s a little different. Yes, you have Kyrie. But at the same time, AD is more of a feature there. There’s no doubt that he needs to be Anthony Davis. Luka has someone like LeBron, so I can see why he may be hesitant at first because it’s LeBron. It was kind of like that when we had J-Kidd. But for me, J-Kidd understood that while they were pretty good, we were outside of the playoff picture. So he knew they brought me in for a reason. The stuff I was doing in Toronto, they needed that. I just wanted to make the game easier for J-Kidd. But he wanted to make the game easier for me. He said they needed me to score. They needed me to be the guy other teams had to guard over the years. I got the message and I was able to take off and play some basketball thanks to Jason Kidd being a wizard with the ball himself.
So once you get past that bump in the road, Luka is going to be fine. LeBron will allow Luka to be a go-to featured guy. This is the right time for something like this to happen considering LeBron was already allowing Anthony Davis to be their featured guy. He still played well. But he played off Anthony Davis having an MVP-caliber season particularly in the beginning of the year. I think LeBron is willing to allow that to happen now. He was hesitant because he has been “the guy” for so darn long. But he can still be the guy. But he knows Luka can carry a franchise even while LeBron can still be himself. He doesn’t have to play as many minutes. He doesn’t have to work as hard. His usage rate doesn’t have to be as high because of someone like Luka. He can still be dominant. His 3-point shot is strong enough to help him last some years even if he is not just outrunning people and dunking on people. The 3-point shot, if he’s efficient with that, he’ll be fine.
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LeBron is about to pass you in total games played. How much longer can he go?
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
I already knew he was going to break all those records. It’s a tribute to guys finding a way to play a lot of years and a lot of games. I am truly thankful to be up in the record books for years played and games played. I had a great run, and it’s always said that records are meant to be broken. Someone like LeBron is going to break a lot of records, and he is going to set some records that will be tough to reach. It’s cool for me and my family to see the history of the game when he breaks it, they’ll see his name go above mine. My kids and family and friends will see my name there among some of the greats of the game. It’s a testament to his longevity and just taking care of his body and doing it the right way. I came in during an era where there were more veterans, and now, it’s more younger guys. So I think it’s tougher to do it now.
But I honestly think LeBron can play as long as he wants to. He takes great care of his body. He is still an asset when he is on the floor to any team. I honestly think he can play three more years and the third year can be a swan song and fanfare of what he has accomplished in over 20-plus years. Dare I say he plays two years just to get an opportunity to play with or against his other son? If you’re going to make history, why not go all the way? Not only did he play with one of his sons, he played with or against both of his sons. There is work to get there. But how crazy would that be for his family? That’s something you never imagined.
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What is it like for you to see some children of your former teammates or opponents in the NBA?
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It’s crazy to see. I could date back to Tim Hardaway when Tim Hardaway Jr. was traveling with us in the Olympics. Some other guys like Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton and Dale Davis and Harvey Grant and even Dell Curry. Steph and Seth were always around. They turned out to be pretty damn good. Now we have Jameer Nelson. I’m going to give you another one: My former teammate Sean Williams. I don’t think a lot of people know this.
But his brother is Myles Garrett. He used to be in our locker room and hanging out in practice all of the time. Richard Jefferson and I talk about this all the time. This kid became that? [Laughs] Myles Garrett used to be around and to see him dominating right there to becoming a top defensive player is insane. I’ve been around, man. I think LeBron is going through that cycle as well just for being around a long time.
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What was your reaction to the way the Nets handled your jersey retirement?
John Jones-Imagn Images
It was pretty darn cool. For example, getting the Empire State Building involved, it’s one of the wonders of the world. When you come to New York City, there are things you just have to see or experience. I had never had the opportunity to go inside. It’s one thing to do the tour. But it’s another thing when they’re lighting up an iconic building in your honor. I don’t take that for granted. It was pretty cool to actually see it. It was mind blowing. It added to a great weekend. It’s an honor to have your jersey retired by a franchise. For my family and friends and old teammates to experience it and show gratitude to old management and new management, we embraced it and wanted to see this moment happen. It was an unbelievable time.
When are fans getting a reboot of Like Mike?
[Laughs] I don’t know. You have to ask Bow Wow. But that would be cool actually. I’m going to ask him. Like Mike did wonders. I was always asked by young kids who are now in their 20s maybe. “Hey, man. You were in Like Mike.” It’s kind of funny because I’m always like, “Yo, you know about that? Why do you know about that?” It was a cool time to be in a movie, especially in a movie that did well. It was relatable to kids. It was a cool basketball story.
But I like doing more creative stuff like Vince’s Places. We’re looking to do something like that some time again down the line because I enjoyed that. It was fun. I learned a lot as well about basketball history that I had no clue about. So hopefully I can recreate something like that.
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Luka Doncic isn't even thinking about the Mavericks anymore
Luka Doncic isn't even thinking about the Mavericks anymore
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