The Toronto Raptors officially retired Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey on Saturday night.
It’s the first jersey retired by the Raptors franchise.
A very emotional Carter made his grand entrance as he received a hero’s welcome:
Good god the passion here from Vince Carter. This is beautful. pic.twitter.com/pW0x7qoE7c
— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) November 3, 2024
Carter was joined by his former teammates Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams, Dee Brown, Kevin Willis, Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams, Muggsy Bogues, Charles Oakley, Morris Peterson and his cousin Tracy McGrady.
DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Scottie Barnes, ex-Raptors announcer Chuck Swirsky, Stephen Curry and Raptors global ambassador Drake all shared a message in the tribute video shown on the jumbotron.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri then introduced Carter who thanked many members of the Raptors organization, his former teammates, his family and the fans during his speech.
“When that jersey goes up shortly, it’s not just Carter 15 going up it’s all of us going up,” Carter said. “The memories that have been created for six years. However, you view it go up tonight. Hear me again, the memories however you view it goes up tonight. So I hope and pray we enjoy our jersey being retired forever, together. Thank you, Toronto. Thank you.”
“FOREVER!”
Vince Carter emphatically ends his speech. This is amazing. pic.twitter.com/NNr491rLS5
— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) November 3, 2024
Then it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Carter’s No. 15 jersey was raised to the rafters:
15 FOREVER 💜 pic.twitter.com/BzPqChYj5q
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 3, 2024
Carter was the Raptors’ first superstar. He put the city of Toronto and country of Canada on the basketball map. He left an impact that is still felt by Canadian basketball players today. Carter earned this moment and he soaked it all in.
Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 403 games for the Raptors in his career.
LeBron James on Raptors retiring Vince Carter’s jersey
LeBron James and the Lakers were in town to take on the Raptors on Nov. 1. After the game, James was asked to share his thoughts on the Raptors retiring Carter’s jersey.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
