Vince Carter set to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame: ‘It’s surreal, obviously’

Some thought the day would never come when Vince Carter will finally receive the highest honour that the sport has to offer, as it has been reported that he has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

For years, the former athlete dominated the basketball airwaves and became one of the best dunkers of all time. Not only did the Raptors retire his jersey, but he also produced some of the most exciting transition games in the NBA alongside Jason Kidd in New Jersey.

As fans and players await for the official announcement to be made on Saturday’s Final Four in Phoenix, Carter and Chauncey Billups are expected to be selected for the 2024 class.

🚨 Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups have been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2024, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/TlWwlxVLTc

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 3, 2024

At the end of last year, the 47-year-old revealed how incredible it would be to be considered. “It’s an honor,” he said. “Everybody feels one way about, ‘Oh, this has happened or hasn’t happened.’ Me on the other side, I was like, ‘I hear you, but the reality is you never know until you know.’ And to hear your name, it becomes a reality.

“It’s an unbelievable honor just to be at this stage of it. You never know what happens. Some people say it’s a shoe-in. I don’t know. But one foot’s in the door.”

The ceremony will take place in Springfield, Massachusetts on August 17, and will be the first time that the future Hall of Famer ever sets foot in that building. “I’ve never been,” Carter admitted. “I just said I’ll wait. I almost went. I got offered to go last year for Dirk [Nowitzki]; I didn’t go. [Tracy McGrady] as well; I didn’t go. I said I’ll wait.”

The eight-time All-Star, who played a league-record 22 seasons, was selected for two All-NBA teams and is still 21st on the league’s all-time scoring list. “It’s surreal, obviously,” he said months ago. “You think of all the people that are in and all the people who are looking for that opportunity to get in.”

The Toronto franchise will retire Carter’s No. 15 jersey next week to honor his 7 seasons with the Raptors

Even though Carter played 1,541 games for 10 different NBA franchises, he’s mostly known for his time in Toronto and New Jersey. This is why the Raptors are retiring his famous No. 15 jersey to honour the seven campaigns he spent with the Canadian club. His best season in Toronto was the 2000/21 campaign, where he averaged 27.6 points per game.

“He just always had the joy for the game. Of course we see all the dunks, but just the way he played, the 3-pointers that he shot, the joy that he brought, the attention he brought to the game,” shared Kevin Ollie, a former player who competed against Carter almost 25 times and who serves today as a Nets interim.

During his 5 years in New Jersey, he reached 8,834 points in 374 matches. “Just the competitive nature that he had, just the innovation that he had, all the different things that he brought to the game.

“It’s just the uniqueness of his God-given talent and him crafting his game and continuing to build those, and to having a Hall-of-Fame career, which is awesome. Congratulations to him and to his family. A lot of hard work pays off,” Ollie added.