Raptors to retire Vince Carter’s no. 15 in November

The Toronto Raptors plan to retire Vince Carter’s number 15 before a regular-season game against the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 2, according to reporting by Sportsnet.

Carter’s No. 15 will be the first retired jersey in the organization’s history and coincides with former Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan playing in Toronto as a member of the Kings.

Carter is widely considered one of the best players to wear a Raptors jersey. He played seven seasons in Toronto from his rookie year to 2004-05. As a member of the Raptors, he received votes for the league’s Most Valuable Player on four separate occasions and was a six-time NBA All-Star. Carter was named Rookie of the Year in 1998-99.

With Toronto, Carter averaged just over 23 points per game with 3.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds and a .383 three-point percentage.

He helped guide the Raptors to two playoff appearances (2000-01 and 2001-02), advancing to the 2001 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals and losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.

Nicknamed “Vinsanity” and “Air Canada,” Carter’s performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest is often cited as one of the best in history.

Throughout his career, Carter played for several teams, including the Raptors, New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets), Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks.

In February, after being named a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Carter was asked by FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” if he’d want to wear a Raptors or Nets jersey into the hall.

“Toronto. Toronto. Toronto. It has to be. It’s where it started,” he said.

Carter retired in 2020 after a 22-season career, making him one of the longest-tenured players in the NBA’s history. The now-47-year-old is among the top scorers in NBA history, finishing his career with over 25,000 points.

Since retiring, Carter has worked as an analyst and commentator.