Vince Carter is approaching the tail-end of the final season of his decorated 22-year career, and he has been no stranger to All-Star weekend. He’s an eight-time All-Star, and had one of the most legendary Slam Dunk Contest performances of All-Time, a moment that will likely define his career forever:
Carter is a surefire future Hall of Famer, and for that reason, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce is somewhat surprised he is not being honored in some capacity this upcoming All-Star Weekend:
.@ATLHawks coach Lloyd Pierce is shocked that 43-yr-old G Vince Carter hasn't been invited to the NBA All-Star Game the same way that retiring stars Dwyane Wade & Dirk Nowitzki were last year. Pierce: "It was brought up, maybe two weeks ago, and I am surprised. …" (more 1 of 3)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 10, 2020
Pierce: " I don’t know why they did it last yr & I don’t know why they’re not this yr. Whatever the reason for them to do it last yr, it made it special – what a great way for honoring 2 legends. We have a legend in our locker room & I don’t understand why it didn’t happen. …"
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 10, 2020
Pierce: "A lot of people calling for him to be in the Slam Dunk contest & I was hoping he’d be in the 3-Point Contest. I do think he deserves to be there that weekend & it would be another way of honoring someone who’s done something that no one else in our league has done." (3)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 10, 2020
However, the NBA could simply be honoring Carter’s wishes. Earlier in the season when asked about the possibility of being an honorary All-Star, he did not seem to be interested:
No, no. If I earn it, give it to me. But that’s just me. Don’t take this the wrong way when I say it like that. That’s just who I am. I’m very appreciative of earning my All-Star spots, being a leading vote-getter, so I don’t know. I just have a hard time with it. We’ll see if later down the line my view changes.
Carter may not be worthy of an All-Star appearance due to the criteria he set for himself, but seeing him participate in some way would have been an extraordinary and deserving moment to cap off his career. Perhaps not having the hardware that Dwyane Wade or Dirk Nowitzki earned separates him from being honored, or maybe they are simply respecting his wishes.
Either way, it should not matter to Carter when he reflects on his incredible career.
When I spoke to Vince at the beginning of the season, he said, “You can ask me 100 times throughout the year, it won’t really hit as the last ‘whatever’ until the end of the year.” He added, “After the All-Star Break, it flies by.”
Well, the All-Star Break has arrived.
Hopefully, Carter has no regrets from his lengthy career, as he will be remembered as one of the best players to ever step on an NBA court. Every fan should appreciate his final stretch and cherish what time we have left watching him play quality minutes.
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