It’s not often a pro athlete celebrates their 40th birthday while still suiting up, and it’s even less often that the 40-year mark comes in the midst of a season when they are still absolutely relevant.
Which brings us to Vince Carter, the former face of the Toronto Raptors franchise and current Memphis Grizzlies veteran, who turns 40 Jan. 26. In honour, here’s a rather excessive and, yes, completely necessary, list of 40 things we’ve learned to this point about one of the most explosive athletes, divisive figures, and lasting characters to step onto an NBA court.
1. Carter is just one of five players in league history to average more than 20 minutes per game at the age of 40, joining Robert Parish, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
2. There’s a strong chance that this dunk wouldn’t even crack his top 10 all-time:
3. Aside from the hops, he was also incredibly clutch in his prime. Between 2003 and 2008, Carter hit 16-game winners, trailing only LeBron James during that span.
4. In his collegiate career, he helped guide North Carolina to two straight Final Fours
5. Carter’s best statistical season came in 2000-2001 when, at age 24, he averaged 27.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks.
6. Seriously, we’re going for 40 here.
7. He sure knew how to play the villain perfectly in his return to the Air Canada Centre after being traded to the New Jersey Nets. Carter not only tied the game with a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation, he won it for the Nets with an alley-oop dunk in the dying seconds of overtime.
8. Carter was named one of the top 35 McDonald’s All-Americans (this dunk contest performance should leave him high up on the list).
9. There will never be another dunk contest champ like Vince
10. He says he wants to play for two more years after this season. It’s a totally realistic goal.
11. Carter still has hops that rival some of the NBA’s bounciest players:
Ballislife.com on Twitter
12. In his prime, VC was an incredibly well-rounded player (and still is). But let’s be honest, it’s his dunking ability that we’ll still be talking about long after he finally decides to lace ’em up. Exhibit A:
13. Exhibit B:
14. Exhibit C:
15. Exhibit D:
16. Exhib— actually here’s just a video of his Top 100 dunks. They’re all worth your time:
17. …And his best dunk might’ve been a failed attempt:
18. For that matter, Carter was such a prolific dunker that he even has his own “Top 10 missed dunks” video.
19. His hops helped create a new inbounds play that you might not ever see again:
20. And at age 39, he was still doing this:
21. Still reading this? Nicely done. It just keeps getting better and better from here. Promise.
22. Carter has now played for six teams. He spent his first 11 seasons split between Toronto and New Jersey, and in the last eight seasons suited up for Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, and now Memphis.
23. Ok, you’re right, we can do better.
24. Carter was in the marching band in high school! He played baritone sax and, in his senior year, was voted head drum major for his senior year.
25. Now we’re cooking with gas, right?
26. When in 2004 a prime Carter, the greatest dunker in basketball history, declared “I’m not going to dunk anymore” it broke our hearts like Fredo taking sides against the family.
27. With a cantankerous star and little in the way of bargaining power, here’s what a future Hall of Famer yielded in a trade during his prime years: Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, a player who refused to report (aging Alonzo Mourning), and two draft picks, the most notable of which was Joey Graham.
28. Immediately after the trade, Carter, who wasn’t going to dunk anymore, dunked:
29. Former heartbreak aside, it’s worth noting that Vince Carter may be the most influential figure in the progression of basketball in Canada. Whether it was popularizing the sport via the Raptors, or serving as a role model (or, at least, favourite player) for today’s generation of Canadian youngsters.
30. Having reinvented his game as a primarily below-the-rim threat off the bench, Carter also reinvented his role, accepting his place in today’s NBA hierarchy. He’s only started seven games since 2012, after starting 986 in the 13 seasons before that.
31. Vince Carter is a lock to make the NBA’s Hall of Fame.
32. Did you know that Carter hosted then-president Barack Obama at his home back in 2012?
33. Is anybody still reading this?
34. Carter was named Rookie of the Year in ’99 after averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, three assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
35. This was the first dunk of his career, in his NBA debut vs. the Boston Celtics:
36. Carter is third among active players in field goals attempted (20,067)
37. …and second in field goals missed (11,227)
38. His 42263 career minutes ranks him 24th all-time in NBA history.
39. Carter is one of just 20 players to have ever dropped 50 points in a playoff game.
40. On the eve of his 40th birthday, he’s still at it:
(Bonus!) 41. This whole list could have just been this video of 40 rare and previously unseen Cater dunks: