Air Canada honours Carter with special plane ahead of jersey retirement

During his time with the Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter’s ability to throw down some highlight-worthy slam dunks earned him the nickname “Air Canada.”

It is only fitting that as Carter prepares for his No. 15 jersey to be raised to the rafters at Scotiabank Arena, Air Canada will pay tribute to the former Raptors star with a special livery on one of its planes.

To celebrate his impact on the game of basketball in Canada ahead of his jersey retirement in Toronto on Saturday, the airline unveiled the plane featuring Carter’s silhouette, signature, and jersey number on Friday.

The aircraft’s undercarriage will also show Carter’s name and number. Air Canada will also have in-game virtual signage, a special %-shirt toss, and a tribute for Carter’s jersey retirement night.

Carter is the first player in franchise history to their number retired as part of the Raptors’ 30th anniversary season.

He anchored the Raptors in their formative years and lifted them from a squad mired in an expansion rut to respectability. Along the way, a new generation of youngsters in a hockey-mad country started paying more attention to the hardcourt.

But Carter’s level dropped ahead of his departure from Toronto. He asked for a trade in 2004 and was dealt to the then-New Jersey Nets in a mid-season swap that saw the Raptors get little in return.

Carter went on to have a Hall of Fame career and was formally inducted this month. He’s the only player in NBA history to play in four different decades.

Carter guided the Raptors to limited playoff success –he won just a single playoff series in Toronto — but the superstar’s exponential rise at the turn of the century created a significant shift.

–With files from the Canadian Press.